Campus administrators have a significant number of moving parts on their plates, especially now with the changing campus climate and response to COVID-19. We have been asking ourselves how we might support our Member Campuses in this time of great change and uncertainty, including questions like: 

  • What can we provide to quickly support instructor development in moving to an online environment? 
  • Are there specific suggestions we can provide instructors in order to aid in supporting students? 

What we have noted is that there is an abundance of resources being shared by communities to aid the shift to online environments. The content is there, but it may be overwhelming. Below are some resources collected and summarized from some of our resident experts on the topic, in the hopes that this will help in focusing your efforts. 
 

Shared by Steve Benton 

How to Make Your Online Pivot Less Brutal - The Chronicle of Higher Education.  

  • In this article, Prof. Kevin Gannon discusses his switch to an online teaching environment, and offers practical, relatable suggestions to other faculty who are redesigning their courses.  
  • Active learning looks different when it happens online. This paper written by higher education experts at IDEA provides a three-pronged approach for envisioning active learning online: 1) an architecture of engagement; 2) using web-based tools; 3) discussion boards and interactive spaces. 
  • Wondering how interactive television and real-time face-to-face interaction can work in a distance education setting? Check out this article by Janice Proctor and Tiffany Bumgardner, two faculty who employed these tools at Ohio University.  

Moving Online Now: How to Keep Teaching During Coronavirus - Chronicle of Higher Education 
 

Resources from Aaron Odden 

Going Online in a Hurry: What to Do and Where to Start – The Chronicle of Higher Education.  

  • This article provides additional resources for faculty switching to an online environment, as well as step-by-step instructions for rethinking your syllabus quickly and efficiently.  

Are Colleges Prepared to Move All of Their Classes Online? – The Chronicle of Higher Education.  

  • Don’t mind the slightly ominous title. In this article, author Audrey Williams June provides concrete data on the challenges of online teaching, as well as what works best for the switch. This data may be of particular use to administrators and leadership trying to support their faculty. 

How to Be a Better Online Teacher – The Chronicle of Higher Education.  

  • Here you’ll find “10 Essential Principles and Practices” for online instruction. For the faculty member particularly anxious about staying connected with their students, this is a must-read.  

Teaching Beyond the Campus – University at Buffalo.  

  • At this UB website, you’ll learn to Prepare, Design, Build, and Teach for an online environment. The extensive resources at this site allow you to determine which of the 4 subject you want to focus on and get the assistance you need for a smooth transition.  

Keep Teaching – Indiana University 

  • This IU website includes a three-step guide for going online: Get Started, Strategies, and Resources. It also provides a Simulation activity that can help you and your team identify and discuss effective actions you can take during this transition period.   

Teaching During Unplanned Events – Center for Innovations in Teaching and Learning (UC Santa Cruz) 

  • UCSC’s website includes several resources (though some are very UCSC-specific) broken down into four categories: Essential Information for Current Conditions, Alternatives for Instructional Delivery, Student Learning, and Resources from Other Institutions for Instructional Continuity & Resilience. 

 

Resources from David Pollock

QM Emergency Remote Instruction (ERI) Checklist - Quality Matters

  • Very specific, step-by-step guidance for moving instruction to remote delivery in an easy-to-read chart form.

Transforming COVID Into a Learning Opportunity - Centre for Educational Excellence (Simon Fraser University) 

  • We are all understandably anxious about the far-reaching impacts of COVID-19. This article by Nanda Dimitrov provides an argument for how talking with students about the virus creates unique opportunities and advantages for instructors.  
  • The (higher ed) Online (Teaching &) Learning Collective was initiated to aid college and university educators transitioning from face-2-face instruction to online and remote learning during the spring 2020 semester. The purpose is to help each other experts and novices get through this time together.  

Videoconferencing Alternatives: How Low-Bandwidth Teaching Will Save Us All -  Center for Teaching and Learning (DePaul University) 

  • In this blog post, Daniel Stanford argues that while videoconferencing may be the first thing we imagine when we make the shift to distance learning, there are several considerations to keep in mind—and several other options that may produce a more effective teaching experience.  

Taking Your Teaching Online Program Collection - Free collection of webinars and other resources (Magna Publications). 

  • This collection of seminars and 20-minute Mentor programs will give quick, useful direction to faculty who are switching to distance learning.  

Keep Teaching— Office of Teaching, Learning & Technology (University of Iowa). 

  • Many resources are focusing on full-scale redesign of courses for distance learning. This comprehensive website focuses on more short-term solutions.  
  • Built in a Canvas course but with advice and resources of use to most anyone transitioning to online teaching in a hurry. 
  • Nice collection of suggestions and links to resources for teaching in specific disciplines such as music, labs, and art among others. 

 

Resources from Jennifer Schiller:


Resources Focused on Pedagogy: 

Designing Online Communities of Practice for Educators to Create Value: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Education Technology 

  • This department of education report provides a robust background for why a community of practice in online environments is critical. There is also a short video on this webpage that shares the why behind infusing technology into 21st century learning environments. I’ve shared this video with faculty, students and parents to set my vision for online teaching and learning. 

9 Tips To Engage Participants In Virtual Communities Of Practice: Jenny Smith and Theresa A. Sherman with eLearning Industry 

  • Whether your online class is synchronous or not, it is important to create opportunities to build community. This resource highlights 9 quick wins to build community online that values human connection and expertise. Shorter lectures and understanding the why behind online silence were a-ha moments for me! 

Five Pedagogical Practices to Improve Your Online Course: Rob Kelly with Faculty Focus and Bethany Simunich at Kent State University 

  • Just like you would in a face-to-face classroom experience it is important in online environments to consider appropriate pedagogical approaches to teaching your curriculum. In this blog, Bethany Simunich from Kent State shares her quick wins for ensuring that your online pedagogy aligns with your content and teaching style  

Online Andragogy Best Practices: Western Technical College 

  • As many are aware the landscape of higher education students is broad and diverse. Our first time, full-Time freshman may have very different needs than professional or non-traditional students. With that, it is important to note that adult learners have varied learning styles as well. Ever hear of pedagogy’s partner andragogy-the study of adult learning theory? This resource provides a quick, high level and multi-modal overview of what andragogy is and what it can look like in online teaching. 

 

Resources Focused on Technology: 

  • Taking a module approach to online course creation allows for incremental and authentic opportunities for formative assessment. Using a guide like this one ensures that you are clearly linking your learning outcomes to materials, activities and artifacts. A guide like this also provides a clear way to present your materials and learning activities to students. 
  • This resource is a great crash course for anyone new to teaching an online course. The resource includes videos and blog style write ups around why online pedagogy matters. It also includes a nine-step guide for setting up your first online class, which was a lifesaver when I was first starting out! 

Online Teaching Toolkit: Association of College and University Educators 

  • This toolkit provides oodles of resources and examples for how to organize online content. Educators on this site do a nice job of modeling content creation and video best practice. Their advice on micro-lectures are spot on! 
  • This resource provides a clear definition for each of these online learning approaches. I also appreciate that this resource explores the pros and cons of each. Like most things in education, there is seldom a once size fits all solution when it comes to real-time or anytime online instruction!  

Decide Between Live, Self-Paced Online Classes: Devon Haynie with U.S. News and World Report 

  • This US News and World Report article provides an overview of synchronous and asynchronous learning environments from the student perspective. This helped me as a faculty member think about the value-add of each of these approaches for my students. The article also provides several campus exemplars. 

 

Resources Focused on Efficacy of Teaching and Learning: 

What is Digital Literacy: Liana Heitin with Education Week 

  • Stay with me friends, it is true, online teaching has many components. In addition to instructional design, and online pedagogies, it is important that the way we consume online content is different than how we interpret and learn from hard copy content. This quick-read walks you through key considerations without having to overhaul everything-it’s a great KISS resource 

The Best Value in Formative Assessment: Steven Chappuis and Jan Chappuis with Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development 

  • Course success and student learning are two important aspects of assessment. That said, there is a difference in assessment for learning and assessing competencies. This article provides tips to leveraging feedback to promote formative assessment conversations. In an online environment these feedback moments can be one of the few touchpoints students have 
  • One of the toughest parts of my journey as an online educator was creating authentic opportunities for formative assessment. I am a reflective practitioner at heart and conversation, physical movement, body language, energy of my classroom all fed into my in the moment instructional decision-making. The key principles outlined in this article are spot on and evidence-backed! 
  • Errol Craig Sull has hit the proverbial nail on the head with these faculty tips for grading in an online environment. My serious advice, have these two blogs opened whenever you sit down to grade an online assignment. These words of wisdom have improved both mine and my students’ experiences with online environments many many times!