Proactive Teaching

This scenario is probable, even if there is an online version of the course being offered by another professor.  In this case, the student would attend online for the entire semester because they are unable to attend a face-to-face class due to COVID-19 reasons.  If this occurs, you can accommodate the student in the regular face-to-face portion of the course as follows:

1. At the beginning of your class period, activate a Zoom meeting in the classroom so the student can attend virtually, hear your lecture, and participate in the discussion.
2. If your in-class time consists of group or partner work, consider having the students bring laptops to class so that the online student can be included in the activities and be part of a group.
3. If you plan on giving your tests/quizzes in class be sure to create the same test online.  You may consider giving the entire class their tests/quizzes online.
4. Suggestions if you teach lab, activity, or performance classes:
   • Consider assigning Lab Buddies or having students choose a lab buddy that will take pictures or record demonstrations done during the lab to share with the absent student. 
   • Consider GoPro-type recordings of the activity to post
   • Allow students to volunteer as the class “Daily Documentarian” to film and document activities for absent students and archiving.
   • Consider assignments such as: 
     • silent video of the activity and they have to narrate to show understanding or the activity or concepts
     • Deliverables or quizzes (that ask questions directly from the recorded class sessions posted in OAKS) for students who miss class. *A quick multiple-choice quiz in OAKS can be auto-graded and uploaded to the grade book easily. If students do not watch the recording or complete the deliverable by a specified date (that is the same every single week), they receive a 0 for class credit. [Burton Callicott is doing this in LIBR 105 and is having success.]
     • Alternate assignments that cover the same standards. Ex. If I miss my small group choreography project, I have to create one on my own, tape it, and send it. If I am too sick to dance, I storyboard it out.
   • Consider taping short demos in class with student volunteers.
     • You can use your cell phone and share the video with your CofC Google Drive (and then you can post on OAKS later) – see the tutorial entitled “Adding Videos from Google Drive to D2L and VoiceThread
   • Plan ahead by taping complicated demos before class. That way, you are prepared for students who don’t make it, and you also have tutorials for the future.

With a normal illness, a student may miss one or two classes. With COVID-19, however, they must be out a minimum of two weeks, so you must keep the student up to date while they are out.  

Since people react differently to the virus, it is recommended that you create a personalized plan with the ill student.  Some may feel well enough to continue attending classes online while others may not.

A quarantined student should still be able to attend classes online, so you should include the student in the regular face-to-face portion of the course as follows:

1. At the beginning of your class period, activate a Zoom meeting in the classroom so the student can attend virtually, hear your lecture, and participate in the discussion.
2. If your in-class time consists of group or partner work, consider having the students bring laptops to class so that the online student can be included in the activities and be part of a group.
3. If you plan on giving your tests/quizzes in class be sure to create the same test online.  You may consider giving the entire class their tests/quizzes online.
4. Suggestions if you teach lab, activity, or performance classes:
   • Consider assigning Lab Buddies or having students choose a lab buddy that will take pictures or record demonstrations done during the lab to share with the absent student. 
   • Consider GoPro-type recordings of the activity to post
   • Allow students to volunteer as the class “Daily Documentarian” to film and document activities for absent students and archiving.
   • Consider assignments such as: 
     • Silent video of the activity and they have to narrate to show understanding or the activity or concepts
     • Deliverables or quizzes (that ask questions directly from the recorded class sessions posted in OAKS) for students who miss class. *A quick multiple-choice quiz in OAKS can be auto-graded and uploaded to the grade book easily. If students do not watch the recording or complete the deliverable by a specified date (that is the same every single week), they receive a 0 for class credit. [Burton Callicott is doing this in LIBR 105 and is having success.]
     • Alternate assignments that cover the same standards. Ex. If I miss my small group choreography project, I have to create one on my own, tape it, and send it. If I am too sick to dance, I storyboard it out.
   • Consider taping short demos in class with student volunteers.
     • You can use your cell phone and share the video with your CofC Google Drive (and then you can post on OAKS later) – see the tutorial entitled “Adding Videos from Google Drive to D2L and VoiceThread
   • Plan ahead by taping complicated demos before class. That way, you are prepared for students who don’t make it, and you also have tutorials for the future.

If you have COVID-19 and are too ill to teach, you will need someone else to teach your class while you’re out.  You must work with your chair to facilitate this.  

Short-Term Substitutes – Content Assistant role in OAKS

The Content Assistant role in OAKS provides a valuable means for each faculty member to proactively establish a colleague (or two) who could serve as a short-term immediate backup on their courses if needed.  This OAKS role also serves as an option for faculty members who want a colleague to be able to assist them with online instruction.  Faculty members can add a colleague to the Content Assistant role themselves from within OAKS.  

Longer-Term Substitutes and Final Grading – Banner course assignments 

Data in Banner serve as our definitive source for faculty course assignments.  In particular, a faculty member must be listed on a course in Banner in order to submit final grades for that course.  Our Banner-housed course assignments are frequently passed to OAKS (via a “push” scheduled for every 10 seconds). That Banner-to-OAKS relationship allows our faculty colleagues to have appropriate access and functionality in the OAKS sites for their assigned courses.  If you need long-term coverage of your class your Chair must collaborate with the Registrar to make the change in Banner.

If you are put in a two-week quarantine situation you will need to teach your course online.  You can teach via Zoom, but there are some considerations you should keep in mind:

1. If you choose to hold synchronous online classes via Zoom, you must hold class during your normal class meeting time.
2. You can also hold your class asynchronously, but we recommend that you post video lectures during this time.
3. Communicate with your students on a regular basis, e.g. every other day.  Use OAKS Announcements or Email to keep them abreast of your expectations during your time away from campus.

While we all hope this scenario doesn’t occur, we must be prepared for going fully online at any time during the semester.

1. Decide if you wish to go online synchronously or asynchronously.
   1. Synchronously – be sure you are comfortable using Zoom on a regular basis, including chat, screen sharing, and breakout rooms.
   2. Asynchronously – be sure you are comfortable using a screen capture application or VoiceThread to record your lectures.
2. Think about how each of your assessments and activities can still be done in the online environment.
3. Create a communication plan and use the OAKS Announcement area to encourage students.  The main feedback from the students in the Spring was that they didn’t feel in touch with their professors.  Students need to know (1) you are still there for them and (2) you care about them and their success.
   1. Email students or add an announcement weekly to touch base.
   2. In the announcements, add encouraging messages such as “Keep up the good work!” or “Glad to see everyone is doing the reading!” The encouragement shows students you are attentive to their performance.