remote instruction

Arts Faculty Explore Creative Approaches to Remote Teaching

Anonymous — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 17:48:17 +0000

Arts Faculty Explore Creative Approaches to Remote Teaching Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 10/05/2020 - 11:48

Rebecca Kallemeyn , Namita Mehta

“Creative, connecting, illuminating, inspiring.”

This is how one instructor described the seminar on remote learning in the fine and performing arts, held in summer 2020 by the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and the Office of Information Technology’s Learning Experience Designers (LXDs).

The seminar addressed specific challenges faced by faculty and students in the fine and performing arts during remote learning. In conversations among faculty in the arts, the CTL staff, and the LXDs, some key discipline-specific problems emerged, such as making indoor performance spaces and studios safe for student and faculty use; teaching embodied techniques effectively at a distance, and compensating for aspects that don’t translate as easily to remote contexts; giving students access to specialized (often expensive) equipment; and teaching craft and technique as precisely as possible without specialized equipment, when necessary. Faculty also brought up the challenge of building trust and fostering a sense of community over a distance. That sense of community is often an essential part of the arts, where trust helps students perform together, give and take critique from each other, and explore artistic problems and questions effectively.

This was underpinned by a sense that basic needs and problems specific to the fine and performing arts were invisible in larger campus conversations about remote learning. To the campus, “research” was more narrowly understood as belonging to the natural and social sciences, or to critical theory and scholarship, as opposed to something equally accomplished through artistic inquiry, performance and the visual arts.

After hearing these concerns, the CTL and LXDs designed a two-day seminar that sought to create generative conversational spaces and avoid prescriptive or directive solutions. The sessions provided faculty with opportunities to explore their particular challenges in a cross-disciplinary setting and learn from each others’ approaches.

USC's Bruce Finn teaches his students lighting technique by constructing 1:6 scale interiors and filming himself as he moves lights around the miniature sets.

The first day showcased examples of innovative remote teaching at other institutions. Bruce Finn, who teaches cinematography at the University of Southern California, shared how he built small-scale models in his home to demonstrate lighting techniques to students without his usual equipment. We also showed student work from a costume design course at Shenandoah University, taught by professor Jennifer Adams. Because her course was tailored to dance students, she asked her students to film themselves dancing in clothes they had around the house and reflect on how the cut and drape of the fabric affected their movement.

The day wrapped with a conversation on connection, community, and collectives in a remote learning environment. The discussion centered on the question of humanizing a technology-mediated learning experience.

The second day used Liberating Structures as a starting point to help faculty ideate in a time-limited context about complex problems. A notable discussion that emerged from the small groups was the increased reliance on video for teaching dance techniques and how the added layers of intentional framing (via lenses and display monitors) also increased the potential for reducing the humanity of the dancer, turning them into an object for display.

Finally, we showed how document cameras might be used to demonstrate technique with particular materials. We also shared VoiceThread as an option for hosting asynchronous, remote critiques and workshops. By the end of this session, faculty were sharing their own ideas and technology solutions with each other.

"I came away feeling like it's not about creating a 'perfect' teaching environment but instead about connecting with the students and meeting the class objectives through whatever means necessary."

Nineteen faculty members attended the two half-day sessions. We gathered feedback each day so we could adjust our content if needed. After the first day, one faculty member said, “It was refreshing to see that so many different disciplines are struggling with wanting to keep their classes as engaging as possible while in the remote or hybrid format. I came away feeling like it's not about creating a 'perfect' teaching environment but instead about connecting with the students and meeting the class objectives through whatever means necessary.”

After the seminar finished, another professor shared, “I can't tell you how much better I feel, having taken part in this workshop devoted specifically to us overlooked arts faculty.”

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Lecture Capture Offers Far More Benefits than You Might Think

Anonymous — Fri, 21 Aug 2020 23:59:43 +0000

Lecture Capture Offers Far More Benefits than You Might Think Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 08/21/2020 - 17:59

Doris Cheung , Dave Benson , Nick Steinkamp , Brad Grabham

Students Are More Engaged, Confident

At first, Professor Janet Casagrand, Senior Instructor in the Department of Integrative Physiology, thought her recorded lectures would be helpful for students who needed to miss class. She had been meeting with them after the fact to share what they had missed and had good reason to think Classroom Capture might help improve her efficiency. While a small percentage of students did use the recordings to make up class, Janet was pleased to find many students who had attended class were also leveraging the recordings:

...so many students use it as a review tool, and they find it invaluable, and even if they’re fast forwarding through most of it, they like to be able to go back, check their notes, a particularly difficult concept--to listen to it again...

Fearing that students wouldn’t come to class if lecture recordings were available, Janet ran some statistics and didn’t see any drop in attendance. Wisely, she had incorporated active learning with clickers in her class to deter that possibility. It turns out that it’s not just the few who must miss class or request accommodation that are accessing the recordings. Classroom Capture enables all students to reinforce their learning:

When there were parts I would miss, it would allow me to go back and clarify. It helped me confirm the notes I had taken with what the professor actually said.

It helped me go back and review certain concepts and topics that were challenging the first time around.

There are many distractions in lecture (e.g., students on their phones, laptops, students talking) that can make it difficult to pay attention or hear everything in lecture. Lecture capture has allowed me to go back and review things that were missed, in an environment without distractions.

While Classroom Capture is just one of the technologies that can help students succeed, the Office of Information Technology (OIT) has been working hard and fast to launch two new services in preparation for remote teaching and learning this fall.

Teaching and Learning Effectively Through a Pandemic

During COVID-19, instructors will likely be teaching using a hybrid modality. Each of the following services has functionality to facilitate hybrid teaching and learning:

Classroom Capture Service with Zoom

Instructors should consider using the Classroom Capture Service for asynchronous recording in conjunction with Zoom for synchronous teaching to allow students who are not on campus to participate. (On-campus students can benefit by rewatching lectures if they should need to.) If you’ve already used Classroom Capture, you can reactivate previously-recorded lectures for use at a later date.

Personal Capture Service

Interested in recording lectures outside of the classroom? You can use OIT’s newest service, Personal Capture, which allows you to create high-quality videos, screencasts, and slideshows anytime, anywhere--like in the comfort and safety of your own home.

Like Classroom Capture, Personal Capture offers features like easy sharing and distribution as well as viewing analytics for instructors, dynamic picture-in-picture playback and searchable content for students.

Remote-Capable Classrooms with Zoom

To help accommodate the need for hybrid teaching and learning, up to 350 additional classrooms are being converted to Remote-Capable Classrooms (RCC) this summer, which allow for in-person, real-time remote participation in conjunction with Zoom. The RCC Service provides instructors with a simple technology solution, a Crestron Mercury X system, that enables the simultaneous delivery of lectures to students that are physically in the classroom as well as students learning remotely. Please note, this system must be used with a BYOD ("bring your own device") laptop to facilitate the Zoom (synchronous) session.

A full list of hybrid-capable classrooms can be found on the Hybrid-Capable Classrooms List.

Teaching will certainly have its challenges this fall, but with these OIT services, instructors have access to technologies that can help make their students’ experience the best it can be.

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Tech Copilots Support New Remote-Capable Classrooms

Anonymous — Fri, 21 Aug 2020 23:40:50 +0000

Tech Copilots Support New Remote-Capable Classrooms Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 08/21/2020 - 17:40

With the start of the fall 2020 semester, OIT will assist instructors who teach in remote-capable classrooms equipped with the Crestron Mercury X video conference system. The Technology Copilots will provide assistance to instructors in remote-capable classrooms as they use the Crestron Mercury X systems, Zoom, and iClicker; and ensure remote students have a voice in the classroom.

Technology Copilot training is available to teaching assistants, learning assistants, student volunteers, or others who assist faculty in the classroom. An online community of Technology Copilots is available to answer questions and share best practices.

OIT also has a limited number of Technology Copilots available for Fall 2020 who can be assigned to remote-capable classrooms with Crestron Mercury A/V systems installed. All remote-capable classrooms will be listed on the Hybrid-Capable Classrooms List as they are confirmed and installed.

This service is offered for the fall 2020 semester with CARES Act funding. To learn more about the Technology Copilots program, please visit the Technology Copilots service page.

Request a training or a Tech Copilot

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Strategic Course Design Workshops for Fall 2020

Anonymous — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 17:54:57 +0000

Strategic Course Design Workshops for Fall 2020 Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 08/19/2020 - 11:54

ASSETT’s Course Design Workshops provide a comprehensive and accessible introduction to developing a range of technology-enhanced learning experiences. In response to high demand driven by COVID-19 mitigation, we are offering three fully asynchronous workshops during the fall 2020 semester. We will emphasize transitioning from face-to-face teaching to remote delivery, providing a foundation of pedagogy, technical skills, and research-informed practices that can be used flexibly to support fully online courses, hybrid offerings, and/or emergency remote teaching.

Over the summer, more than 100 ��ֱ�� Boulder faculty participated in this workshop. Reported satisfaction was exceptionally high with 95% of survey participants (N=76) rating the workshops as "excellent" or "good." Here's what a few participants had to say about their experience:

I could not possibly recommend a better workshop on campus; and I took dozens of them over the past decade. This one combined technological skills and instructional pedagogy, so it was extremely rich. I intend to use many of the skills in my classes this very fall, whether we teach in class, hybrid, or fully online. I feel prepared. -- Celine Dauverd, Department of History

I am taking away tools for creating and evaluating online components of class design and delivery within a sound pedagogical framework. It did not feel like the typical smattering of "online tricks and techniques" that I have come across myself while making the emergency shift to online teaching this spring. Thank you for such a beautifully designed and executed learning experience! -- Jenny Schwartz, College of Arts & Sciences Honors Program

What was most helpful for me was experiencing an asynchronous course mode, which helped me expand my understanding of how I could effectively implement asynchronous activities into my fall course, while also maintaining engagement and instructor visibility. It was also helpful to recognize some things I'm already doing. I now have a better handle on the words to use to describe them, which is helpful for updating my teaching statement. -- Lizzy Trower, Department of Geological Sciences

Each cohort of learners will have two weeks to review materials, watch videos from our synchronous summer workshops, and complete hands-on activities to practice what you have learned, all at your own pace. You will have the unique experience of participating in a Canvas-based course from a student's perspective, and you will receive personalized feedback from a facilitator on your submissions. Everyone who completes all assigned activities before the end of the workshop will receive a letter documenting their participation, for inclusion in your FRPA report or professional portfolio.

Workshops will be conducted during the following dates:

August 24 to September 13
September 28 to October 11
October 26 to November 8

To ensure we can provide customized support and timely feedback, each cohort is limited to 25 participants. This opportunity is open to any member of the ��ֱ�� Boulder community with instructional responsibilities, including graduate students.

Advance registration is required. These workshops are very popular and usually fill quickly, so we encourage you to sign up as soon as possible to reserve your space.

For additional information, contact the workshop facilitators, Joy Adams (joy.adams@colorado.edu) or Amanda McAndrew (amanda.mcandrew@colorado.edu).

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Register for ASSETT Summer Course Design Workshops

Anonymous — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 21:14:56 +0000

Strategic Course Design for Flexible Teaching Modes

ASSETT’s Summer Course Design Workshops provide a comprehensive and accessible introduction to developing a range of technology-enhanced learning experiences. In response to COVID-19 mitigation, this summer’s training (2020) will be offered in a hybrid format that combines virtual meetings with hands-on application. We will emphasize transitioning from face-to-face teaching to remote delivery, providing a foundation of pedagogy, technical skills, and research-informed practices that can be used flexibly to support fully online courses, hybrid offerings, and/or emergency remote teaching.

Each live workshop includes five synchronous sessions (hosted in Zoom), held daily over the course of one week, with additional online activities, for a total of approximately 10 to 12 hours of guided instruction. The July workshop is delivered in a fully online, self-paced format. It covers the same curriculum, with recorded sessions taking the place of Zoom meetings to offer more flexibility for participants.

UPDATE: As of May 15, all sessions of the workshop are full, including all spaces on the waitlists.

Advance registration is required, and each workshop is limited to 20 participants. These workshops are very popular and usually fill quickly, so we encourage you to sign up as soon as possible to reserve your space. In accordance with ASSETT’s mission, priority will be given to instructors within the College of Arts & Sciences; however, any ��ֱ�� Boulder faculty members (including graduate students with instructional duties) may register to participate on a space-available basis.

For additional information, contact the workshop facilitators, Joy Adams (joy.adams@colorado.edu) or Amanda McAndrew (amanda.mcandrew@colorado.edu).

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Freshmen: Report Your Experiences with COVID-19

Anonymous — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 19:35:18 +0000

Freshmen: Report Your Experiences with COVID-19 Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 04/10/2020 - 13:35

Freshmen are invited to report on their experiences as first-year students at ��ֱ�� during the COVID-19 pandemic, for a research study conducted by the Positive Emotion and Psychopathology Laboratory at ��ֱ�� Boulder. The lab's director, June Gruber, is a member of the ASSETT Innovation Incubator's Metacognition and Well-Being project team.

Students may participate by completing an online survey about their own experiences, thoughts, and feelings. This research is being conducted by researchers in the ��ֱ�� Department of Psychology and Neuroscience (IRB#18-0483). You will have the opportunity to win one of ten $100 Amazon gift cards. Additional opportunities to participate in paid research may be available.

To qualify, you must be a freshman at ��ֱ��, between the ages of 18-25, and fluent in English.

Please email gruberpeplab@colorado.edu with the subject line “EMERGE COVID-19 Study,” and you will be sent link to the survey, which you can complete at your convenience.

To learn more about the study, visit the EMERGE Project's website.

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Quick Guide to OIT Resources for Remote Teaching

Anonymous — Mon, 23 Mar 2020 18:00:38 +0000

Quick Guide to OIT Resources for Remote Teaching Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 03/23/2020 - 12:00

��ֱ�� Boulder faculty, including graduate students with instructional duties, are encouraged to take advantage of the support offered by the Office of Information Technology, which includes ASSETT.

OIT’s Academic Technology Resources for Teaching Continuity web page describes methods and tools that can allow you to continue your class activities at a distance.
ASSETT can provide web-based training sessions for departments, offices, or groups within the College of Arts & Sciences. To submit a request, complete the online form on the On-Demand Training page of the ASSETT website.
In collaboration with the Center for Teaching and Learning, OIT is offering several upcoming training sessions on Remote Teaching Using Zoom and Canvas. The sessions will be recorded for later viewing and include an option to participate remotely via Zoom, if you are unable to come to campus.
For technical support or general information regarding Canvas and other campus-supported technologies, email oithelp@colorado.edu or call 303-735-4357. ASSETT staff will be helping to monitor these channels to provide specialized support.
On-demand video recordings of training sessions on teaching with Canvas are available on the Academic Technology Trainings page of the OIT website.
As always, ASSETT staff are also available for consultations or general inquiries about teaching with technology. Email assett@colorado.edu for assistance.

Please continue to review ��ֱ�� Boulder’s Coronavirus Updates and Resources web page for the latest campus news and information.

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Staying on Track in Virtual Classes: Tips for Remote Learning

Anonymous — Mon, 23 Mar 2020 17:32:28 +0000

Staying on Track in Virtual Classes: Tips for Remote Learning Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 03/23/2020 - 11:32

Clara Geoghegan , Aria Jia

With the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, schools and universities across the country have unexpectedly embarked on the largest online learning experiment ever. This is probably not how any of us envisioned our semester going, and the transition has maybe been easy for some, but we’re guessing it’s been rocky for most of us. With that in mind, here are some tips for making the transition to remote classes go a little more smoothly and making sure that you are still getting the most of your education.

1. Make a schedule and stick to it.

Now that we are trying to reduce the spread of COVID-19, our daily routines are looking a bit different. Instead of waking up, eating breakfast, drinking coffee (or whatever wakes you up in the morning), walking/biking/busing/driving to campus and then going to class, our routines are limited to inside the house. It might be tempting to set your alarm for 10 minutes before your first class, roll out of bed, and hop on your computer at the start of class, still half asleep. Don’t do this.

So, make a schedule and stick to it. We recommend using Google Calendars since any Zoom meetings on your professor’s schedule can be added to your calendar with one click. You can then incorporate your daily routine around any classes you have, and all the Zoom links you need throughout the day will be in one place. Schedule a time to wake up, walk the dog, make breakfast, do a non-gym workout, or whatever you normally do before class. Also, schedule yourself 10-15 minutes before class (think of it as your digital “passing period”) to get prepared for your Zoom meeting.

Which brings us to our next tip…

2. Environment matters; be prepared.

Pay attention to how you work and concentrate best. This is different for all of us, but please don’t use your bed as your desk, if you can avoid it. Not only can going to class in bed mess with your sleep schedule, but for most of us, it is probably not where you concentrate the best.

Try to make a space in your room or apartment just for classes and school work. Tailor it to what personally works best for your concentration, but also make sure it is a workstation that is ready to go. Have all your class materials, like textbooks and notebooks, on hand. If you are using a laptop, keep it charging while you are in a class session and always use headphones to avoid audio feedback. Keep water and snacks on hand, and make sure you are comfortable enough to sit for an hour or more.

3. Make the best of a bad environment.

Not everyone has an ideal place to work and go to class in their home. With Boulder’s high rents, a lot of us share rooms or live in places without room for a desk. Not every student has access to a laptop or computer either. For those in less-than-ideal circumstances, remote learning might be hitting you the hardest.

If you don’t have a computer and primarily use your smartphone or library computers, now might be the time to get a device for your home. Unfortunately, due to the campus closure, the ��ֱ�� Book Store cannot rent laptops to students. But with all classes going remote, investing in a cheap or refurbished laptop for the coming few months might be worth it.

If you share a room or live somewhere that is not ideal for online classes, here are some tips for making your environment as conducive to learning as possible. Share your class schedule with your roommate. It’s easy to do in Google Calendar, and this way you both know when the room needs to be quiet. If you aren’t already doing this, use headphones. It might seem like common sense, but do what you can to be respectful of one another’s education and needs.

If you don’t have a desk or a space that can be converted to a school station, convert your bed into a workstation by day. Place something sturdy or hard on your bed (like a cutting board or a large book) to turn it into a makeshift desk. Place a pillow, stool or chair on the ground to work. This might seem like a funky setup, but it will help you mentally shift gears from being at home to being ready for class.

4. Zoom-iquette, or best practices for Zoom

Like anything, there are good ways and bad ways to act when using Zoom. With online classes, using best practices for remote learning is important for your experience and that of your classmates.

If your instructor hasn’t done so already, mute your microphone whenever you are not talking. You can hold down the spacebar on your laptop to unmute yourself if you are asking a question. Try to find a place where no one is walking behind you. This will minimize distraction for you and your classmates. Use a pair of earbuds or a headset so you don’t disturb anyone around you. This will also help your classmates hear you better. And, WEAR CLOTHES! Maybe that seems obvious, but you wouldn’t show up to class in just your underwear, and chances are your classmates don’t want to see that over Zoom either.

5. Participate.

Get used to interacting with your professor and class digitally. It might be weird at first, but asking questions and volunteering answers will help you feel more engaged with the class and will help you from getting lost in the lesson.

Use the “raise your hand” function in Zoom to let your instructor know you have a question. Click on the “participant” tab of your Zoom controls, at the bottom of your screen. Next to your name will be a hand icon; click it. This tells your instructor you have a question or something to add without interrupting the class.

Or, if you find yourself getting lost in the lesson, use the “chat” option. You can send a message or ask a question to the whole class or any individual member of the class. Think of this as the digital equivalent of turning to your neighbor to ask them if they understood something or wrote down the last line on a slide.

6. Use office hours.

Professors and instructors tell us this every single week, but now especially, USE OFFICE HOURS!

This is a new teaching format for most of us as students, so if you feel yourself falling behind or in need of clarification, don’t be afraid to reach out to your instructor. They probably want to know what parts of the class aren’t translating as well digitally, and talking to you beats sitting at their desk in an empty Zoom session. Bonus points if you add their office hours to your well organized and gorgeous Google Calendar.

If you have any of your own ideas about remote learning, tell us about them!

Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash

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ASSETT Offers New Trainings on Remote Instruction

Anonymous — Tue, 17 Mar 2020 18:57:54 +0000

ASSETT Offers New Trainings on Remote Instruction Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 03/17/2020 - 12:57

In collaboration with OIT's Learning Technology Consultants, ASSETT is offering online workshops to support faculty in transitioning to remote teaching. These workshops are open to any ��ֱ�� Boulder faculty members, including graduate students with instructional responsibilities. Pre-registration is highly recommended.

The first training, Planning for Remote Instruction: 8 Easy Steps, is a 90-minute comprehensive workshop based on the guidance provided in the recent ASSETT article of the same name. During Spring Break, this material will be offered as a series of four 30-minute mini-workshops. Participants are welcome to attend the full series or to choose specific sessions, based on their needs and interest.

Training schedule

Wednesday, March 18: Planning for Remote Instruction, 8 Easy Steps, 10:00 - 11:30 am via Zoom
Monday, March 23: Planning for Remote Instruction, Part 1: Course Communication, 2:00 - 2:30 pm via Zoom
Tuesday, March 24: Planning for Remote Instruction, Part 2: Course Mapping, 2:00 - 2:30 pm via Zoom
Wednesday, March 25: Planning for Remote Instruction, Part 3: Student Support, 2:00 - 2:30 pm via Zoom
Thursday, March 26: Planning for Remote Instruction, Part 4: Maintaining Community, 2:00 - 2:30 pm via Zoom

The above workshops will be facilitated by Joy K. Adams, Ph.D., Teaching & Learning Consultant, ASSETT. Sessions will be recorded and posted as videos on the ASSETT and OIT websites in the coming days.

For session descriptions and a complete list of upcoming training opportunities, visit the Academic Technology Trainings page of the OIT website.

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Preparing for Remote Instruction in Eight Simple Steps

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Mar 2020 16:33:16 +0000

Preparing for Remote Instruction in Eight Simple Steps Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 03/13/2020 - 10:33

Joy Adams

View as a Google Doc

STEP 1: Communicate expectations for course communication.

During times of uncertainty, clear and timely communication is essential. Reach out to students as soon as possible with information about how your course will proceed in a remote format.

Quality Matters recommends addressing the following, at a minimum:

In what modes and how often you will send general course communications
How students should contact you
Your expected response times for messages and returning graded assignments
How often students should log in to the course site
Which course activities are synchronous and which are asynchronous
Any changes to the attendance or class participation policy
How office hours will be conducted
Guidelines for communicating with peers online (e.g., “netiquette”)

Be available to answer any questions that might arise. Consider posting your responses to individual inquiries in an FAQ page or discussion forum within your course site so all students have access to the same information. This step should also help to reduce the volume of incoming messages you receive.

Step 2: Map out your course.

Completing a simple table will help you organize your ideas and create a “to do” list for setting up your course activities in Canvas.

List the face-to-face classroom experiences you had planned for the remainder of the semester in columns 1 and 2 of the table.

Date	Activity
3/16 - Monday	Lecture on... Discussion of...
3/18 - Wed	Lecture on... Quiz
3/20 - Friday	Lecture on… Paper due
etc.

Step 3: Rethink for remote teaching.

In the third column, note how you will replace or recreate those experiences for remote delivery.

Date	Activity	Online Equivalent
3/16 - Monday	Lecture on... Discussion of...	Zoom meeting Canvas discussion forum
3/18 - Wed	Lecture on... Quiz	Screencast of lecture, posted in Canvas Quiz in Canvas
3/20 - Friday	Lecture on… Paper due	Assigned reading and video Assignment submission via Canvas

Based on the time available and your comfort with technology, you might consider changing the format of course activities for remote delivery. For example, in place of a lecture, you could:

hold a live videoconference with students in Zoom to present the material
record a screencast of yourself delivering a lecture and post it in Canvas for viewing
assign a reading or video in place of the lecture
share your lecture slides, adding written “speaker notes” or audio narration as needed to help explain the material.

As you complete this column, remember that your immediate task is to create the minimum viable option that will allow students to receive the information they would have received in the classroom and provide them with alternative means of completing and submitting coursework. Wait to substantially redesign the course or implement new, non-essential technologies until normal teaching has resumed.

STEP 4: Populate your Canvas site.

Create or upload the materials, quizzes, assignments, and activities outlined in your course map. For help, review OIT’s Academic Technology Resources for Teaching Online or contact us at oithelp@colorado.edu.

STEP 5: Build in learner supports.

Without face-to-face contact, additional scaffolding of learning may be necessary. Ensure your course materials are accessible for students with disabilities, instructions for activities and assignments are explicit, and deadlines are reasonable and clearly communicated.

If you are using any Canvas features or other technology tools in your course for the first time, remember that these tools might be new to at least some students. Consider providing links to resources for students that provide step-by-step instructions, such as these Canvas guides:

STEP 6: Create a work schedule for students.

Using the table you created as a starting point, prepare a new course schedule for students. Share this information with the class in Canvas, as an announcement, and/or as an email to the class.

Date	Activity
3/16 - Monday	Attend live Zoom session, 1:00 to 2:00 pm (Mountain Time) Post to the online discussion forum no later than noon on Wed., March 8
3/18 - Wed	Watch the lecture video posted in Canvas Complete quiz online no later than 11:59 pm
3/20 - Friday	Review the assigned readings and videos posted in Canvas Submit written assignment via Canvas no later than 11:59 pm

STEP 7: Maintain community.

Consider ways to encourage student-instructor and student-student interaction to maintain a sense of community while teaching and learning off-campus.

Strategies for student-instructor interaction

Post regular announcements in Canvas to keep the class on track
Email students who appear to be struggling with assignments to see if they need help
Record video or audio messages to maintain “instructor presence” within the course
Actively participate in online discussion forums
Create an open forum where students can post questions about the course, share ideas, or raise concerns
Provide timely, specific feedback on assignments
Hold virtual office hours

Strategies for student-student interaction

Create collaborative assignments, activities, or quizzes, or allow students to work on existing assignments with peers
Encourage students to share tips and strategies for online learning
Help students form study groups or peer accountability groups
Use online discussion forums and require peer responses
Guide students in creating study guides, course glossaries, or other class resources

STEP 8: Be prepared to provide referrals.

Students may need additional assistance from the OIT Help Desk, Disability Services, campus health services (including mental health resources), the University Libraries, and/or other academic and support services. Provide contact information for these campus partners in a prominent place within your course site.

Video Resources

Recorded workshops on the tips above are available on OIT's Academic Technology Training page (scroll down to On-Demand Video Trainings) or using the links below. Each video is 30-45 minutes in length.

This guide was developed by Joy Adams, ASSETT Teaching & Learning Consultant, ��ֱ�� Boulder. Some information has been adapted from the Quality Matters Emergency Remote Instruction Checklist and other resources shared by members of the Quality Matters Instructional Designers Association.

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