Message from the Chair

Learning environments throughout education and business are advancing quicker than ever.

Today's school district administrators, educators, business leaders, researchers, teachers, trainers and instructional designers not only must keep pace with these changes but also get ahead of them as we work to understand how students learn – and how to improve their learning.

Introducing the NIU Department of Learning Innovation, Leadership and Technology (LILT)!

My name is Wei-Chen Hung, and I am honored to serve as the first chair of our new department that brings together faculty, staff, students and expertise from the Department of Educational Technology, Research and Assessment – where I previously served as chair – and the Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations.

Our merger combines the preparation of school and business leaders with recognized expertise in instructional technology and data assessment in a deliberate and meaningful way to support the systems and tools of 21st century teaching and learning.

It also strengthens cross-disciplinary research opportunities and enhances student access to faculty during this exciting and challenging time.

Everyone watching the rapid and constant acceleration of technology, especially artificial intelligence, understands the critical need for skilled practitioners throughout our field who can navigate this evolving landscape in ways that produce opportunities, solutions and positive outcomes – and that's exactly where our LILT faculty are focused: They, and our alumni, are answering that call.

Please know that I am one of you. I hold a Ph.D. in Instructional Systems Technology, with a minor in Information Science, and I focus my research on problem-solving, human-computer interaction and performance support.

Our department and our accomplished, cutting-edge faculty offer strong graduate and certification programs in face-to-face and online formats, the latter of which has earned us consecutive national rankings from U.S. News & World Report for more than a decade.

We also offer adult undergraduate degree-completion programs focused on providing knowledge and skills directly relevant to your current career: Our Bachelor of Science in Applied Management (BSAM) degree offers tracks to focus on Learning Technologies or Equity Leadership and Mentoring.

For more information, please contact us at 815-753-9339 or lilt@niu.edu. We welcome your questions and feedback and we look forward to hearing from you.

Wei-Chen Hung
Professor and Department Chair