Instructors: Tips on How to Support Students

• Create an outline / keep an assignment page for due dates.
• Set expectations but talk to the students to see what works best for them. 
• Communication
  • Email often.
  • Keep open channels of communication for both yourself and between students.
  • Have a way for students and faculty to engage with one another.
  • Find a way to move office hours online, too (or be flexible with setting up times to call/Skype with students who need it).
  • Be responsive with regard to communication. Remember that this is all new to your students as well and they will probably be panic emailing you. Be responsive and understanding.
• Don’t post everything at once, roll it out slowly so students do not get overwhelmed.
  • Make content in small bites to avoid overloading students.
  • Keep things simple.
• Send out slides/handouts ahead of time if possible or afterward for people who may miss sessions/have trouble connecting/want to review.
• Focus on meeting your outcomes.
• Have checkpoints as you go for students to make sure they are doing things correctly, and for you to know they understand-could be simple like a Google form “quiz.”
• Make sure your course follows proper accessibility guidelines
• Respecting student privacy, especially if you’re using technologies that aren’t provided through the university or your institution.

Instructors: Tips for Asynchronous Instruction

• Make content in small bites to avoid overloading students
  • Don’t record hour-long lectures; break them up into shorter videos based on a topic or learning outcome
  • Focus on the basics: keep it simple, accessible, don’t overload on information 
  • Think of the lesson’s organization before putting it online and be flexible in deleting material out
  • Focus on meeting your outcomes
  • Don’t post everything at once, roll it out slowly so students do not get overwhelmed
• Screencasts are a great way to teach a concept that is not easily read and immediately understood-they also help include verbal instruction to not overload learners.
  • Don’t worry about using video, audio with slides (a.k.a. ScreenCastomatic) is just fine!
  • Caption your videos
    • YouTube has free captioning software, but you must edit the automatically generated captions so that they’re accurate 
  • Keep slides relatively simple: focus on what you would be working on if you were in a face to face lesson. If you wouldn’t add graphics/pictures/sounds in class, don’t put it in your slides.
  • Don’t just type your whole lecture onto your slides
• Create an outline/ keep an assignment page for due dates and assignment instructions
• Make sure you build assessments into your lessons
  • For example, have checkpoints as you go for students to make sure they are doing things right, and for you to know they understand–could be simple like a google form “quiz”
• Allow for multiple avenues for students to express themselves
  • For example, forum posts could be in many different forms, not just a standard written response (videos? gifs?)
• Have a way for students and facility to engage with one another
  • Keep open channels of communication for both yourself and between students.
  • For example Introductions, Exit slips, Places to provide feedback and comments, open forums
• Encourage students to stay on top of each week’s assignments 
  • For example, send emails weekly about due dates
  • Be flexible with deadlines, everyone is adjusting to a lot and may have to move/find a place to stay, may not have consistent internet access/bandwidth, etc.

Instructors: Tips for Synchronous Instruction

• • Course Management
    • Offer alternative “attendance” options (completing an activity, etc.)  to students who can’t make it to an online classroom for whatever reason.
    • Make sure you’re respecting student privacy, especially if you’re using technologies that aren’t provided through the university or your institution.
    •  
    • Be flexible with deadlines, everyone is adjusting a lot and may have to move/find a place to stay.

• Make sure all documents/materials are accessible – use Universal Design methods

• Class Content

• • • Keep your lesson plans flexible.
    • Keep slides relatively simple: focus on what you would be working on if you were in a face to face lesson. If you wouldn’t add graphics/pictures/sounds in class, don’t put it in your slides. Don’t worry about using video, audio with slides is just fine!

• Make sure to save a recording for students who can’t make it to the live class session or want to review material.

• Don’t worry about using video, audio with slides is just fine.

• • • Create an outline and an assignment page for due dates
    • For synchronous lessons, let students have time to work in groups. There is a learning curve at first, but it helps keep lessons moving rather than just lecture.
    • Create opportunities for interaction, if possible.
    • Let students have time to work in groups. There is a learning curve at first, but it helps keep lessons moving rather than lecture only.

• Communication

• Make sure you know who to contact for technical issues. (itsupport@nicholls.edu for students)

• • • Encourage students to use the microphone in class.
    • Have multiple ways for students to communicate with you (text, phone, email, etc.)
    • Find a way to move office hours online too (or be flexible with setting up times to call/video chat with students who need it.
  • General Tips: 
    • Don’t just type your whole lecture onto your slides
    • Allow for multiple avenues for students to express themselves

• Send out slides/handouts ahead of time if possible, or afterward for people who may miss sessions/have trouble connecting/want to review.

• Watch informational videos on how to use the platform you’re going to utilize