Teaching Remotely
Please note: These resources were compiled to support our quick pivot to emergency remote teaching during the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in our area, in the spring of 2020. While we hope some of this content may be of continuing value, these pages are not being updated and may contain outdated information.
As you begin to teach your course remotely, consider what you already do in your course. You will not be able to recreate your classroom, so don't expect that you can. However, think about your priorities and ways to meet your learning objectives online.
Communicate with students.
One of the most important things you can do when teaching remotely is stay in close contact with you students. Clearly communicate any changes you make to your syllabus, policies, assignments, due dates, etc. They too are stressed by the disruption. Make your expectations clear and transparent.
Classlist Tool Quick Reference Guide (pdf)
Announcements Tool Quick Reference Guide (pdf)
Create an Announcement (video)
Use Replace Strings for Personalization (video)
Classlist - Contact Learners (video)
Tips for Learning During a Disruption (resource to share with your students)
Distribute course materials and readings
One of the most important things you can do for students to ensure course continuity is to post course material on Brightspace.
Content Tool Quick Reference (pdf)
Content FAQ
Deliver lectures
There are a number of ways you can deliver lectures remotely, either synchronously or asynchronously.
Brightspace Virtual Classroom (free version)
Brightspace Virtual Classroom Features (review this chart for changes coming May 8, 2020)
Brightspace Virtual Classrooms Knowledge Base
Zoom Web Conferencing
How to Activate and Access your XULA Zoom Web Conferencing Account (pdf)
Where can I find the Zoom link in Brightspace?
How do I schedule a Zoom meeting in Brightspace? Note: The first instruction on this page is inaccurate. It says we have to set up a Zoom link in our course, but ours are already automatically set up in our courses (Thanks, ITC!).
Zoom 101: In Meeting Controls (Basic)
Make Zoom Cloud Recordings Available to Students (pdf)
Comprehensive Guide to Educating through Zoom (pdf)
Tips and Tricks for Educators Using Zoom for Virtual Meetings (pdf)
7 Zoom Screen Share Tips Every User Should Know! (video)
How to create Zoom meetings for study group sessions (pdf)
Tips to secure your Zoom meetings (pdf)
Run lab activities
Although not all labs can be conducted remotely, there are some alternatives you can consider.
Virtual laboratories in teaching and learning science
A collection of virtual labs from MERLOT
List of online lab simulations and lab resources (organized by discipline and course type)
Lab simulations from Harvard's LabXchange
Foster collaboration among students
Discussions Tool Quick Reference Guide (pdf)
Create and Manage Discussion Forums
Collect assignments
Another basic function you will want to be able to do is to collect student work. Collecting it in Brightspace is much more efficient than having student email assignments to you individually.
Use the Assignments Tool to Simplify Assignment Collection
Assignments Tool Quick Reference Guide (pdf)
Give quizzes
Depending on your content, you might want to give quizzes within Brightspace. There are a number of ways you can minimize cheating on online quizzes, but one of the best ways is to use open-book quizzes. Also, here are fourteen simple strategies to reduce cheating on online exams that you should consider.
Quizzes Tool Quick Reference Guide (pdf)
Post grades
Students will want to know their grades, so it is recommended that you set up your grades in Brightspace. In fact, this is a great thing to do for your face-to-face classes as well!
Grades Tool Quick Reference Guide (pdf)
Understanding the Grades Tool (video)
| KeepTeachingXULA | |
|---|---|
|
Getting Started |
| Teaching Remotely • Compassion and Self-Care • Discipline-Specific Resources | |
| Additional Resources • CAT Unleashed Workshops | |
| Contact the CAT+FD Staff | |
The information on this page has been developed, in part, by adapting material, with permission, from the Indiana University [1] website. The “Keep Teaching” content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License by the Trustees of Indiana University.