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University Practicum

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Northwestern's University Practicum is a flexible online series of sessions designed for instructors of all levels, backgrounds, and teaching contexts.

The University Practicum, which has drawn over 1,000 instructors across all schools, is collaboratively designed to enhance evidence-based teaching practices, leverage educational technology, deepen the integration of Universal Design for Learning, and cultivate inclusive learning environments in close alignment with Northwestern’s institutional priorities of strengthening community and championing access, diversity, and belonging. Collaborators include the Searle Center for Advancing Learning & Teaching, Teaching & Learning Technologies, Accessible NU, NU Libraries, and the School of Professional Studies, in partnership with faculty subject matter experts. Past practica have focused on Foundations of Online Teaching (2020-21), Principles of Inclusive Teaching (2021-22), Universal Design for Learning (2022-23), and Reimagining Assessment (2023-24).

Want to learn more? Please email practicum@northwestern.edu.

“The practicum gives me a space to collaborate with other instructors and discuss how we implement teaching strategies and techniques in our own classrooms—what we’ve tried, and what has worked. I find that to be very, very useful. ”

—Arend Kuyper, Director Undergraduate Studies for Data Science, Department of Statistics and Data Science

2024–25 Practicum

Supporting Student Success on a yellow background.Supporting Student Success

The topic for the 2025 University Practicum, Supporting Student Success, was identified as the most important need in a survey of Northwestern University instructors. Participants will identify multiple factors shaping student’s holistic success, explore strategies for co-creating and communicating course expectations with transparency and collaboration, integrate resources into course design that support equitable access to learning opportunities, and apply a student-centered framework to reflect upon current assessment practices. Find out more.

Open Educational Resources

Reimagining Assessment Practicum (RAP)

This open resource is designed to guide instructors of all levels, backgrounds, and teaching contexts to learn more about and reflect on their assessment and grading practices, with an emphasis on equitable approaches and alternative methods. This resource includes some of the presentations and resources shared within the live practicum and is intended for educators across disciplines and institutions to use, share, and learn from. Want to learn more about its impact on participants? Please read this infographic. Get started with RAP.

Universal Design for Learning Practicum (UDLP)

An open educational resource for instructors of all levels, backgrounds, and teaching contexts to reflect on the evolving needs of students and to implement Universal Design for Learning principles to create more supportive, inclusive, and accessible learning environments. Get started with UDLP.