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Letter from the Senior Director of the Searle Center Collaborative Learning: Events, Programs, & Services Special Feature: Congratulating Fellows and Colleagues
Signature Programs: Catalysts for Change Strategic Initiatives: Ideas in Action Educator Spotlight: Voices from the Community | |||||||||||
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Welcome Back!Dear Colleagues,This year, our quarterly newsletters will spotlight the Searle Center’s strategic priorities, beginning with: Deepen reflective, evidence-driven, and innovative pedagogical practices. As Stephen Brookfield writes in Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher: “Critically reflective teachers activate their classrooms by providing a model of continuous inquiry” (p. 89). Fueled by their own quest for lifelong learning, reflective educators kindle intellectual risk-taking, spark students’ curiosity, and torch limiting assumptions to ignite a transformative learning environment. In this issue, we feature inspiring colleagues who embody continuous inquiry. We also showcase evidence-driven signature programs as catalysts for change alongside innovative ideas in action that are happening in our strategic initiatives. We are delighted to welcome our new Distinguished Fellows and the 27th cohort of Searle Fellows, who began their year of pedagogical reflection with Brookfield’s foundational text. The program continues to deliver on its promise to cultivate a community of learning and teaching leaders who exemplify excellence—including our new Associate Provost for Education, Karen Smilowitz, a proud former Searle Fellow and mentor. A critically reflective leader, Smilowitz models inquiry from the top, prompting us to further consider how we might leverage the robust assessment gallery to enhance curriculum design, expand evidence of effective teaching with peer observation rubrics, and the ways generative AI might be used to break down barriers to learning. This is the kind of forward-thinking leadership that turns inquiry into impact. We also wish to recognize our partners on the Assessment and Accreditation Council (AAC), whose collaborative spirit and institutional insight enhances Northwestern’s assessment culture. A particular highlight of the recent Higher Learning Commission report was the submission of evidence to the Assessment Gallery, showcasing programs’ commitment to student-centered inquiry and continuous improvement. Special thanks to Lauri Dietz, whose innovations have helped build lasting institutional capacity. We look forward to working with the AAC to develop actionable tactics for the next University Strategic Framework. To identify patterns and refine our teaching practices with intention, we can look through Brookfield’s four lenses of reflection to gain valuable perspectives: the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), colleagues’ insights, personal experiences, and students’ perspectives. The first lens, SoTL, forms the basis of our signature program Reflective & Effective Teaching Certificate, which prepares graduate students and postdocs from any discipline for their teaching roles. We’re especially excited to announce a new partnership with the Northwestern Prison Education Program, which brings the SoTL into powerful alignment with our values of equity and access. Brookfield’s second lens, the insights we gain from fellow educators, is central to our Evidence of Effective Teaching Initiative, aimed at piloting more holistic approaches to better document the impact of teaching on student learning and reward professional growth. The McCormick Teaching Rubric is one such example of how evidence-informed tools can support meaningful evaluation and foster a culture of continuous improvement. When we connect as educators across teaching contexts, disciplines, and career stages, it fosters relationships that support both pedagogical growth and personal vitality. We have several opportunities for Collaborative Learning this fall, including a new cohort-based community of practice for instructors to engage in a SoTL project on Teaching with GAI. Brookfield’s final two lenses—students’ eyes and personal experience—remind us that teaching is both relational and deeply personal. In What We're Reading, A Pedagogy of Kindness author Dr. Catherine J. Denial asks, “Who is the student you’re imagining as you write your syllabus?” Seeing our classrooms through students’ eyes prompts us to consider how they experience our language, our pacing, and our expectations. To be authentically kind to students, we must first extend kindness inward by resisting the temptation of productivity for its own sake, investing in our pedagogical development, and refusing to go it alone. “Kindness is not a destination but a practice and a journey. I am not writing from some pinnacle of enlightenment; I am learning every day how to show up for myself and my students in the most authentic, open, trusting, and compassionate ways I can” (pp. 13–14). In the busyness of the new academic year, don’t forget—the Searle Center is here as your thought partner in reflection, your community for sharing innovation, and your curator of evidence-driven resources, including our new three-part series on pedagogy and GAI. Warm Regards, Jennifer Keys, Ph.D. | |||||||||||
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Announcing Our Newest Cohorts of FellowsWe are proud to announce our new cohorts of Distinguished Fellows and Searle Fellows! Distinguished FellowsRecipients of the University Teaching Awards become Distinguished Fellows of the Searle Center. These inspiring, innovative educators heighten the visibility of interdisciplinary, campus-wide conversations about learning and teaching praxis.
Searle FellowsSearle Fellows is a time-honored tradition supporting the promise of early-career faculty by cultivating a community of learning and teaching leaders who engage in pedagogical experimentation, critical reflection, and demonstration of equity and excellence.
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Recognizing the Assessment & Accreditation CouncilWe wish to recognize our partners on the Assessment and Accreditation Council (AAC) for their sustained efforts toward Northwestern’s successful reaffirmation of accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). In their final report, HLC reviewers commended the University's interdisciplinary and collaborative culture and the progress made over the past ten years to advance the assessment of student learning. A particular highlight of the report was programs’ submission of evidence to the Assessment Gallery, which reviewers described as “an innovative and promising tool for transparency and cross-unit learning" demonstrating "meaningful uptake of assessment practices and a culture of continuous improvement.” This public platform is designed to showcase systematized assessment of student learning across Northwestern and to serve as a model for institutions nationwide. The architects of the Assessment Gallery, AAC co-chair Lina Eskew and council member Lauri Dietz, exemplify our scholarly, student-centered, and values-driven approach to assessment. Thet are available to partner with interested programs to prepare for the annual March 31st submission deadline. As noted by AAC co-chair and Senior Director of the Searle Center Jennifer Keys, stimulating assessment to drive substantive course and curricular change is a key priority in our recently launched strategic plan, aligning with Northwestern’s commitment to excellent teaching and delivering an outstanding educational experience for all students. | |||||||||||
Congratulating Lauri Dietz: A Builder of Relationships, Programs, and PossibilityBy Jennifer Keys, Senior Director We are proud to recognize Lauri Dietz, Director of Pedagogy and Assessment, as she steps into an exciting new role as the inaugural Executive Director of the Center for Faculty Development at Loyola University. Lauri is, above all, a builder—of relationships, of programs, of institutional capacity. Her leadership has been defined by a unique blend of vision, creativity, and action. As a mentor, she has shaped the professional journeys of many. “Lauri’s mentorship has aided me immensely in navigating the challenges of being an early career educational developer. Lauri’s mix of kind, consistent, inspiring mentorship has had a transformative effect on my progress at the Searle Center. Lauri has shaped my experiences as an Assistant Director in a positive way, and it was an honor to work with her.” —Josh Watson Lauri is also a builder of innovative, evidence-based programs that have transformed how we support teaching and learning. In 2022, she relaunched our venerable Searle Fellows program, infusing it with new energy and relevance and collaborated to create the Course Design Institute and the Course Delivery Lab, both of which have become models of pedagogical excellence. "I have had the pleasure of working alongside Lauri in a variety of contexts for seventeen years. She is not only my mentor, but my favorite collaborator. Whether we’re building programs, workshops, or systems, I’m continually inspired by her ability to uncover the story at the heart of the work, drawing in the audience and making it exciting and memorable. As a leader, Lauri has a rare gift for recognizing each person’s strengths and inviting them into projects in ways that enable them to thrive. She celebrates growth with genuine joy, and her belief in others is transformative. In her 3 years at Searle, I know I have grown tremendously through our work together. I hope to carry forward what I’ve learned from her with the same creativity, empathy, and curiosity she brings to everything she does.” —Kate Flom Derrick Lauri has forged meaningful partnerships across the student learning ecosystem and has built a robust assessment infrastructure that has elevated our institutional effectiveness. The collaboratively envisioned Assessment Gallery impressed the HLC peer review team and will continue to play a critical role in Northwestern’s assessment and accreditation efforts. “Lauri is more than a visionary—she pairs high-level creativity with the pragmatism to get things done, right. From Platonic dialogues to Airtable automations powering the widely praised Assessment Gallery, she builds relationships as readily as she builds systems. Over the last three years, she has been a mentor and a model of our shared assessment values—Student-centered, Equitable, Authentic, Responsive, Lifelong, Empathy, values that have shone through in everything we accomplished together.” —Lina R. Eskew Being an institution builder requires commitment, courage, and a deep understanding of the higher education landscape. Lauri sees possibilities where others see limits, and she builds—always—with an eye toward capacity, community, and lasting change. Her impact has been transformative—shaping people, programs, and culture in meaningful ways. Although we will miss Lauri’s energy, we look forward to seeing how she will continue to shape the future of learning and teaching. | |||||||||||
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Reflective & Effective TeachingOur Reflective & Effective Teaching Certificate Program (RET) equips graduate students and postdocs with a foundation of evidence-driven pedagogical practices that build their capacity to create educationally enriching learning environments. In the 2024–2025 academic year, over 42 RET participants earned a Certificate and Letter of Completion. Building upon the success of RET, we are excited to announce a collaboration with Dr. Jennifer Lackey, Michelle Paulsen, and the Northwestern Prison Education Program (NPEP). This comprehensive pedagogical and professional development initiative will prepare NPEP graduates at the Sheridan and Logan Correctional Centers for their roles as teaching assistants. Upon successful completion of the RET Certificate Program, participants will be able to analyze and apply various teaching and learning theories to make informed pedagogical choices and data-driven decisions to improve student outcomes. The Searle Center’s strategic plan also includes an initiative focused on students as pedagogical partners with the goal of humanizing pedagogy and illuminating pathways to educational environments that are engaging, effective, and welcoming to all students. RET-NPEP Student Pedagogical Partners will be trained and mentored in discussion facilitation techniques to provide meaningful dialogue to NPEP Teaching Fellows as they engage in discussion and complete artifacts. This collaboration not only expands access to pedagogical development, but also exemplifies our commitment to inclusive, student-centered teaching. Evidence of Effective TeachingTo advance Searle’s strategic initiative to broaden how teaching effectiveness is evaluated at Northwestern, we partnered with the McCormick School of Engineering in 2024–2025 to co-create a holistic teaching observation protocol and rubric. The protocol begins with a pre-observation conversation to clarify instructional goals and context, fostering shared understanding and closing the feedback loop with intentional discussion and reflection. The rubric spans three core dimensions of teaching, reflecting McCormick’s pedagogical values and supporting more meaningful, evidence-driven evaluations: lesson design, pedagogical delivery, and content knowledge. Interested in developing a customized approach for your unit? Contact the Searle Center to collaborate. | |||||||||||
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Embarking on "Teaching with GAI: Evidence-Driven Exploration"Are you curious about how generative AI is shaping student learning in your classroom? Wondering how students respond to AI tools, or whether these technologies are enhancing engagement, equity, or learning outcomes? This cohort-based program invites Northwestern instructors to explore their questions by engaging in a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) project during the 2025–26 academic year. Cohort members will meet throughout the year to exchange ideas, refine research designs, and share findings. The Searle Center will offer brief information sessions on SoTL research methods, data collection, and analysis. If you are interested in joining this community of practice, contact Denise Drane, Senior Director for Research and Innovation, at d-drane@northwestern.edu. | |||||||||||
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Karen SmilowitzBy Kate Flom Derrick, Assistant Director of Reflective Pedagogy Each quarter, we feature Northwestern educators doing innovative work in learning and teaching. These interviews showcase their educational journeys, signature styles, and how their teaching has been shaped by their work with the Searle Center. | |||||||||||
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On September 1, Karen Smilowitz officially started as the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education in the Office of the Provost. She teaches in the McCormick Schools of Engineering as well as the Kellogg School of Management. Earlier this month, I had a lovely conversation with Dr. Smilowitz, a former Searle Fellow, about deepening reflective, evidence-informed, and innovative pedagogical practices. The following is an excerpt from our conversation. Are there any pedagogical innovations you’ve seen recently that inspire you or align with your vision for undergraduate education? There's an exciting opportunity to think about what undergraduate education will look like in the age of AI. I say this as an engineer, it is amazing in the way AI breaks down barriers to access programming languages for our students, for software that we use. Many barriers to good programming, like not knowing syntax, go away. There's still a human need for creativity and logic in all of this. But how does that change other disciplines? Just today, a faculty member in Radio/Television/Film (RTVF) said he’s thinking about AI and the curriculum in RTVF and asked, “Are there any resources?” And I said, “Absolutely,” and cc’ed Jen [Senior Director, Searle Center] and Vicky [Senior Director, Teaching and Learning Technologies]. It's a great opportunity, because there's so much good content that's coming out of Searle and coming out of TLT that faculty really need at this point. Helping Searle to have the capacity to respond to department-specific requests is something I'm interested in. I come to this role with a STEM perspective, but then I'm really excited about the opportunity to think about what this means in other fields. | |||||||||||
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By Eun Sandoval-Lee, Assistant Director of Learning and Teaching A Pedagogy of KindnessBy Catherine J. Denial What if kindness were not a ‘soft skill,’ but rather a powerful act of pedagogy? As the first volume in the Teaching, Engaging, and Thriving in Higher Ed Series published by the University of Oklahoma Press, A Pedagogy of Kindness (2024) by historian and educator Dr. Catherine J. Denial posits kindness not merely as a characteristic of personality but a conscious approach to learning and teaching. Denial distinguishes kindness from niceness, framing it as a challenge to both individual behaviors and institutional norms in higher education—grounded in compassion and committed to justice. A Pedagogy of Kindness offers both a philosophical reorientation and practical insights for bringing kindness to the forefront of teaching. | |||||||||||
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Enhancing Learning in the Age of Generative AIEdited by Laura Ferdinand, Assistant Director of Content and Communications As generative AI (GAI) becomes increasingly integrated into learning and teaching in higher education, instructors are navigating complex questions around academic integrity and student learning. While many emerging policies emphasize detection and sanctions, the Searle Center has created a three-part series on pedagogy and GAI, which offers a proactive alternative by centering trust, transparency, reflection, and student agency. The following three teaching tips introduce each guide in the series, highlighting evidence-driven practices to enhance learning in the age of GAI. 1. Build Critical Thinking by Discussing Verification Strategies Inviting students to critically engage with GAI is a method for developing broader analytical skills and modeling professional practice to prepare students for meaningful engagement within and beyond the classroom. Tip: Facilitate a brief class discussion on verification strategies. Ask students to share how they verified GAI outputs and what sources or reasoning they used. Encourage students to verify citations and use academic databases to cross-check facts and claims. Explore the full guide: “In Brief: Critical Thinking & GAI in Course Delivery.” 2. Deepen Learning through Iterative Revision Iterative revision reduces students’ misuse or over-reliance on GAI by emphasizing process over product. When assignments include drafts, feedback loops, and scaffolding, instructors minimize the need to use GAI as a shortcut to more polished work. Tip: Add a low-stakes peer feedback checkpoint. Ask students to exchange a short excerpt of an upcoming assignment and to provide each other with one piece of process-focused feedback (e.g., “What revision strategy do you think would strengthen this section?) Explore the full guide: “In Brief: Iterative Revision & GAI in Course Design” 3. Harness the Academic Benefits of Metacognition with Reflection Prompts When students are asked to rigorously reflect on how they arrive at an answer—not just what the answer is—they can engage authentically and are less likely to outsource their work to GAI. Tip: Use post-assessment reflections, known as wrappers, to prompt students to consider the relationship between GAI and their learning strategies/habits. Examples of such metacognitive questions include:
Explore the full guide: “In Brief: Metacognition & GAI in Course Assessment.” | |||||||||||
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