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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nLook back at your course objectives and student learning outcomes in your syllabus. What have your students already met? What remains to be addressed? Is there any flexibility with how these are met? Try not to get too hung up on following what you had planned for activities and assignments, as these are means<\/em><\/strong> to an end<\/em><\/strong>. You want to reach the same end<\/em><\/strong> but adjusting to distance learning will require perhaps rethinking the means<\/em><\/strong>. For each of those course objectives, you developed a strategy in your syllabus for meeting them by planning instructional activities, assignments, and assessments. Let\u2019s look at how we can tweak that strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the table below, I have listed some common instructional purposes\nwith traditional activities for meeting these goals in class, as well as some\noptions for meeting these same objectives at a distance. This is not an\nexhaustive list but is meant to get your creative instructional juices flowing.\nAs you will see, you likely are already doing some of the activities in the\ndistance option columns, so no need to worry about entering a foreign land.\nJust begin where you are comfortable, and maybe try one or two new things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Teaching online can initially feel like herding cats if you haven\u2019t planned carefully and accounted for some unique aspects of distance learning. Important things to consider include the digital divide, communicating expectations, tools, logistics, and videoconference etiquette. Let me share some advice as an experienced cat herder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Technology can be both a bridge and a barrier to access for\npeople, and this is an important concern when providing instruction at a\ndistance. Not only do you want to ensure that you are not creating additional\nbarriers to your course content, but this is now an opportunity to create\nadditional access that might not have been available before. Electronic text is\na fairly universal medium that can be read on a screen, printed out, or read\naloud via a screen reader. It can be accessed on a computer, on a mobile\ndevice, through Wi-Fi, or SMS. Whenever possible, provide electronic text\nequivalents of your course content and try to ensure that everything can be\ndownloaded at one go for students who have limited access to Wi-Fi. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Teaching online requires explicit communication. People new\nto distance education often do not realize how much is implied in our everyday\ninteractions that can easily get lost in the translation online. Be specific\nabout what you want your students to do each week. Include activities that are\ngraded and those that you expect them to do even though they are not graded.\nMany students really appreciate checklists to follow so they know they are\nmeeting your expectations. If you want them to submit something, be sure to\ntell them where to send it and when it is due, including the date and time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You don\u2019t need to learn a lot of new technologies to make\nthis temporary transition to distance learning. Faculty who have been teaching\nonline for years and have a toolkit full of resources have spent years learning\nand compiling those resources. Be realistic about what you can accomplish in a\nweek. If you only know how to use email, begin there by sending out course\nmaterials and asking students to email you assignments. If you are comfortable\nwith your school\u2019s LMS, post your materials there, create assignment drop\nboxes, and places for students to interact and ask questions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t make too much work for yourself. When you ask a\nquestion in class, only a small percentage of your students respond. When you\nask a question online, every single one of your students will respond which\nwill vastly increase your workload. Plan carefully for what you want students\nto submit to you so you can make the time to review it and provide feedback. Prompt\nfeedback is especially important for students at a distance as they can feel\ndisconnected and concerned about their performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One new technology you might be interested in experimenting with is Zoom, or another web conferencing platform like Skype or Google Hangouts. If you plan to conduct your class synchronously, this will be a must. If you plan to conduct your class asynchronously, this can be helpful for office hours, study groups, and providing one-on-one support to students. Here are a couple of quick tips for participating in a web conference that you can share with your students:<\/p>\n You can do this! What is the experience you want your learners to have? How do you want them to feel about your course content? How do you want them to think about it? What do you want them to be able to do? Maintaining academic continuity requires us to go back to the essential purpose of our instruction. You can lead your students to the same destination, but you will take a different path to get there. Reach out to the knowledgeable guides on your campus to help you plan the journey and be flexible about this expedition. Keep your focus on the destination\u2014the learning outcomes. It may take longer to get there, some students might stumble along the way, and the experience will be different. Just keep calm and go online!<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, take a deep breath. With all of the anxiety surrounding the spread of COVID-19, it\u2019s easy to get overwhelmed and panic about how you will make it through the semester. Remember what your goal is: to share your passion about your subject with learners and help them meet your course objectives. You can still … <\/p>\nComparing In-Person and Remote Learning Activities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n Instructional Need<\/strong>\n <\/td> \n In\n Class Activities<\/strong>\n <\/td> \n Synchronous\n Distance Options in Zoom<\/strong>\n <\/td> \n Asynchronous\n Distance Options<\/strong>\n<\/td><\/tr>\n Assessing and\/or activating prior knowledge<\/td> Introduce students to content<\/td> Formative assessments and checking for understanding<\/td> Student ability to engage with instructor and ask clarifying questions<\/td> Students exchange ideas with peers, engage in collaboration, reflect on content, and make connections with personal experience <\/td> Students practice skills, with guidance<\/td> Assessing student understanding and grading (summative assessments)<\/td> Technology Accessibility<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Make the Implicit Explicit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Start Small<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Web Conference Etiquette<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Bottom Line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Creative](\"https:\/\/i.creativecommons.org\/l\/by\/4.0\/88x31.png\")
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License<\/a>.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"