Author: thoeck

As 2024 draws to a close, the Learning and Educational Center (LEC) proudly reflects on an extraordinary year filled with many achievements and milestones. This year has been especially significant, highlighted by an increase in faculty participation in our annual Teaching and Learning Conference, along with significantly increased participation in workshop offerings, as well as our collaborative Generative AI Series among many other accomplishments. This success is a testament to our growing engagement within our NSU teaching and learning community.

The LEC Instructional Design team authored several articles in 2024 tackling topics such as Strategies to Foster Students’ Mental Well-being, Fostering Students’ Critical Thinking, or Teaching and Learning with Podcasts. If you’ve missed this wealth of information, we encourage you to take a look!

This year, the LEC hosted its third annual Teaching and Learning Conference, “Raising the Bar: Educating the Modern Learner,” with hundreds of NSU Educators attending. Our popular Thank-A-Professor program was a hit, receiving over 2,000 thank you messages. Additionally, our DesignLink program continued to thrive, connecting Instructional Designers with faculty to enhance course design and materials across the University. Learn more about each of these initiatives and how they are making a difference in our NSU community.

This year’s professional development opportunities continued to be diverse and impactful, featuring a range of workshops, trainings, and rich discussions led by LEC staff and University partners. The LEC was honored to host University experts who shared their knowledge in various areas, such as student engagement and Generative AI.

In higher education, while intellectual growth is often prioritized, students’ mental health plays a critical role in their success. Research shows that mental health challenges can lead to academic struggles and limited career opportunities (Hughes & Spanner, 2019). Faculty can support students by fostering a compassionate and inclusive learning environment, using open communication, flexible course design, and practices that help students feel valued and supported.