Select a course modality based on your technological comfort, your students' needs, and the most effective delivery method.
Synchronous Online - Instructor would use Zoom to deliver live instructional sessions during regularly-scheduled course times. This choice will have a similar feel to a standard lecture format. The advanced tools in Zoom allow for PowerPoint presentation, screen sharing, white board functionality, and even group breakout spaces. You would still use Canvas to house course materials like class handouts, assignment completion and submission, grading, and assessments (tests and quizzes). This option combines the benefits of of both face-to- face learning and online learning. The challenge is developing a level of competency with Zoom functions. However, there is plenty of training and support available, not to mention several of your faculty colleagues already using Zoom at a very high level. ⚠️ Giant caveat: students may not have ready access to high-speed internet. Students can call in to listen to a Zoom session. A dial-in phone number is provided with each Zoom meeting. Consider a student survey to learn what technology needs students have in your course.
Asynchronous Online This simply takes out the live component from above. The classroom activities and lecture would be replaced with other digital learning activities that could be housed within Canvas. One option might be Panopto lecture recordings or short instructional videos made using Canvas Studio. ⚠️ As a warning, long lecture videos can be challenging for many students to watch. Consider shorter videos with discreet content.
Offline Options - If your students have issues with accessing high speed internet, as many will, you can create downloadable materials (readings, handouts, PowerPoint slides) that students can access through Canvas in one place, then take to a different location to review.
When starting to think about how to best move a course online in an emergency situation, here a few suggestions that may help, especially for those entering the online space for the first time.
KISS: Keep it simple, sweetie
Be Flexible - You are in new territory, give yourself options and learn as you go. Your students may be in new territory as well, so please be patient.
Most of you probably use some type of paper-based exams or tests as part of your face-to-face course and will need to figure out how to accomplish learning assessments in the online environment. Important considerations to think about in selecting an assessment method include effectiveness, academic integrity, development time, technological limitations, and time to grade. Below is a guide to help you make the best decision given the specific situation in your courses.
Even though they are not present in class, students may continue to learn your subject matter by participating in online discussions, completing assigned readings, working on problem sets, writing research papers or essays, watching videos or listening to online lectures, and more. Many kinds of activities will be available to your class even if an emergency closes the campus. At the same time, there will be limitations for certain types of learning activities that you will need to consider and work around. This PDF file contains many ideas of how you might accomplish your learning objectives online in an emergency.
While we realize that emergencies often require creative solutions in less-than-ideal situations, we are also committed to maintaining high-quality learning experiences for all of our students. This Guide contains an extensive, though not exhaustive, collection of recommended best practices for online teaching and learning. Use it to enhance your practice but don’t become overwhelmed incorporating all of these suggestions.
The Quality Matters Emergency Remote Instruction (ERI) Checklist is a tiered list of considerations, tips, and actionable strategies to enact during an institutional move to temporary remote instruction of classroom-based courses. It is presented in three phases, according to prioritized needs:
Resources for Moving Pedagogy Online
Good teaching is good teaching, whether it happens in courses that are face-to-face, technology-enhanced, hybrid or fully online. This InfoGuide is developed to assist instructors in preparing and teaching their online courses.
Chris Porter
Dean of Learning Resources & Online Learning
Email: cporter@virginiawestern.edu
Phone: (540) 857-6697
Carrie Halpin
Instructional Designer & Technologist
Email: chalpin@virginiawestern.edu
Phone: (540) 857-6636
Erin Leftwich
Instructional Technologist & Canvas Administrator
Email: eleftwich@virginiawestern.edu
Phone: (540) 857-6687
Brown Library
3095 Colonial Ave. SW
Phone: 540.857.7303
