Academic Continuity


Preparing for Remote Teaching

A variety of circumstances might require you to take your classes online with minimal notice. In order to maintain academic continuity, faculty should consider these questions first: How will I communicate with my students? How will I provide access to course materials? What will students engage with course content? What will assignments look like? How will exams and quizzes be administered? How can I ensure that students have access to support services? Recognizing that each course is different and that there are more complex questions to answer, we are starting now with a series of foundational interactive sessions to assist faculty (and staff) in their planning. 

 


Virtual Pew FTLC Office Hours

Looking for assistance in remote teaching, beyond Blackboard use? Feel free to sign up for a 20-minute virtual appointment with a Pew FTLC faculty consultant.


Peer-to-Peer Support

A number of faculty have expressed interest in helping colleagues transition to remote teaching. Access a crowdsourcing document set up with the intent of connecting faculty with colleagues who have expertise in certain applications, strategies, apps, etc. If you have a particular expertise that you are willing to share, this page also allows you to add your name, contact information, and areas of support. 


Remote Teaching Spring 2020 - PD Options

As Grand Valley State University plans for quality remote offerings in the Spring 2020 semester, a new menu of professional development options for faculty has been created. Taking a self-directed and competency-based approach, we have gathered streamlined options that take into account varying educational technology experience levels and unique disciplinary contexts. 


Campus Resources for Remote Teaching

Looking for help with remote teaching, remote working, finding resources for your courses, or have questions about policies and emerging practices? Consult these pages for great information, personal assistance and answers to your questions. We are all here to help.  


Virtual, Asynchronous Professional Development re. Remote Teaching Strategies

In the past week, so many new websites, teaching guides, and compendia of strategies have come our way, that it is rather overwhelming. Here are some of our favorites. We reserve the right to add and subtract from this list; we also welcome your contributions! A common thread through these resources is the notion of communication (often), compassion (the context of learning right now for instructors and learners is not neutral), and caution (try new things, but don't overwhelm yourself or your students. 

  • Do This, Not That - an infographic from a blog post by Alison Yang; scroll down for a great "thumbs up, thumbs down" summary of online teaching strategies
  • ACUE Online Teaching Toolkit - a free and open sampling from the excellent Course in Effective Teaching Practices that an intrepid group of GVSU faculty are currently taking this year
  • 20 Minute Mentor Commons - access our subscription to the Magna Publications library of 20 min. video programs around particular teaching techniques/approaches; downloadable assignments and detailed guides accompany the videos making this a rich resource in response to specific teaching questions; contact us for the access code and instructions  
  • Remote Teaching Resources for Business Continuity and Higher Ed Guidance During COVID-19 - despite the ominous titles, these crowdsourced spreadsheets provide links to many remote teaching resource pages from other universities

Prepare Yourself and Your Students

In the event that an emergency results in a disruption in your teaching, consider ways in which you can maintain academic continuity. Several of our Teaching and Learning Center colleagues on other campuses have prepared helpful guides for faculty. We invite you to review these resources to ensure that you are as prepared as possible:

Rule of 2's: Keep in Simple as You Go Remote for COVID19, Plymouth State University
A delightfully simple and helpful planning framework, including a downloadable worksheet and examples 

Keeping Teaching During Prolonged Campus or Building Closures, Indiana University
We draw your attention to these pages in the guide, Step 1: Get Started and Step 2: Strategies

Keep on Teaching, Pepperdine University 
Additional strategies for communicating and working with students online, both from a pedagogical and a technological standpoint   

Going Online in a Hurry, Chronicle of Higher Education  
Six practical steps to take right now.

Teaching Effectively During Times of Disruption, Stanford University 
This detailed guide, while utilizing different videoconferencing and LMS technologies, has some great specific ideas.

Accessible Teaching in the Time of COVID-19, Aimi Hamraie, Critical Design Lab
Pedagogy, online strategies, and helpful student survey questions from a disability culture and community site

Trauma Informed Teaching and Learning Online: Principles and Practices During a Global Health Crisis 
A downloadable, one-page guide  

COVID-19 Specific Resources
Sources of information about COVID-19, responding to potential bias, fear, discrimination related to COVID-19, facilitating challenging discussions


Sessions from Week of March 9th  

 

Remote Teaching 101

planning, managing expectations, communicating with students, sharing course materials, assessing learning, on- and off-campus support resources

ACCESS THE PDF HANDOUT HERE 

 

Remote Teaching 101 RECORDING

Synchronous Communication using Blackboard Collaborate

utilizing the online collaborative learning tool Collaborate to engage learners  

Blackboard Collaborate Resources (How To Guides)

 

Synchronous Communication using Blackboard Collaborate RECORDING

Creating Video Content with Panopto

recording, editing, uploading video content, ensuring accessibility

Panopto Resources (How To Guides)

 

Creating Video Content with Panopto RECORDING

Blackboard Assistance 

optimizing your Blackboard course for teaching online by adding course materials and readings, creating and collecting assignments and using discussion boards to foster communication; this session allows ample time for your Blackboard questions to be answered

Blackboard Resources (How To Guides)

 


Page last modified November 7, 2022