Ready, Set…Here we go online! (CELT Teaching Tip)

As we move to the online environment for teaching and learning, follow these fundamental principles:

Keep it Simple
Don’t try to create a whole online course now. While commercial and non-commercial companies are flooding your inboxes, now is not the time to try to learn and implement more technology than you and your students need. What are the essential skills, knowledge, and attitudes that students need to practice and show mastery? What are the simplest ways to assess these skills, knowledge, and attitudes? Do not lose sight of your primary purpose and student learning outcomes for your course.

Expect the unexpected
Technology will fail. People will have emergencies. The ability to concentrate will be less than usual (for our students and us). Test your technology before you use it. Have a backup plan if the technology fails. Determine what is necessary to keep in your course.

Consistency and Clarity are Key
In times of crisis, we need consistency and routine. Students expect syllabi and grades in Canvas. Canvas has many apps built-in, including course materials and Webex, so that students need to log into only one place and not figure out different apps, logins, and passwords. Remember, your students are in 3 to 5 separate courses. They need consistency and clarity of expectations. Consider numbering your announcements, or removing old announcements, such that information is up to date and precise.

Be Compassionate and Flexible
You and your students are under stress. Between changed routines and many uncertainties, choose to be kind, choose to be generous, choose to be compassionate, choose to be flexible.

Stay Connected
In this time of social distancing (pdf), we need community as much as we ever did, and it does not require lots of new techniques from you. Simple things like emailing your students once a week to check-in and offer updates are valuable for building community. Host office/student hours via Zoom or Webex. Provide individual feedback as much as you can. We are all in this global health pandemic together.

Practice Self-Care
Please take a moment for yourself when you need it. A few deep breaths can promote a state of calmness. A walk outside can be reinvigorating. Engaging in a creative activity like journaling or doodling can relieve stress. Keeping a gratitude journal can inspire hope. Please encourage your students to also pursue activities that bring them joy in this time of uncertainty.

To help you in this shift, CELT has created this Quick Start Guide page.

Our ISU Campus Partners are here to help, call us through the CELT Response Team 515-294-5357 (Monday-Friday, 8-5 p.m.). We have staff across campus willing to assist. If needed, the campus partners will meet with you virtually using Webex. Additionally, you may wish to contact one of the support units directly.

With a joy for teaching,

Sara Marcketti, Director
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching

This CELT Teaching Tip is adapted from resources on the Plymouth State University’s Preparing to Teach During COVID19 site.


Full Teaching Tip

View the published CELT Teaching Tip: Ready, Set.. Here we go online! (March 20, 2020 – Constant Contact) website.

Prefer a Print version?

To view the Teaching Tip as a printable document with web addresses, download the CELT Teaching Tip for March 20, 2020 (PDF)

Classroom technology for fall 2020 (ITS)

Information Technology Services (ITS) Audiovisual Experience Team (AVXT) is equipping general university classrooms with technology for live synchronous learning, asynchronous lecture capture, or both.

Some classrooms will include pan/tilt/zoom cameras and integrated audio. These classrooms will enable lecture capture using Panopto with cloud storage, and/or connect with the instructor’s device for videoconferencing or recording. Other classrooms will include a web camera and desktop microphone compatible with conventional software. Some general university classrooms will not have this new technology installed by August 17, and installations will continue into the first several weeks of the semester. Information Technology Services is providing a printed sheet of in-room instructions to assist instructors in using the new technology. To review this overview, download from CyBox the Fall 2020 Classroom AV Presentation.pptx.

Would you like to know General University Classrooms (GUC) and the currently installed or proposed audiovisual equipment?

Visit the IT Audiovisual Classroom Technology: General University Classroom Equipment page.

If assistance is required, contact the IT Solution Center via phone 515-294-4000 or email solution@iastate.edu

This information is from the August 12, 2020: Fall Semester Updates (SVPP COVID-19 Communication #17)

Finding success, FAQs & Canvas basics (Teaching Tip)

This teaching tip includes answers to the most frequently asked instructor questions as well as Canvas basics for those new to ISU’s learning management system (LMS) Canvas.

In addition, we want to share how faculty are finding success while delivering content online:

Do you or your colleagues have success stories to share? Email us at celt@iastate.edu.

With joy for teaching,

Sara Marcketti, Director
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between synchronous and asynchronous teaching and learning?

Synchronous happens in ‘real-time’ at a specific virtual location during one particular time of the day using video conferencing tools (Webex, Zoom) to live stream a lecture/meeting. For example, every Monday at 2:10 p.m. (Central Savings Time) in a Webex virtual room. Use synchronous mode for student office hours and courses where oral communication and live discussions are crucial to attaining learning objectives.

Asynchronous happens on your schedule: materials, lectures, and assignments posted in Canvas for students to access. There are due dates, but there is also flexibility in when and where students access and complete the tasks. Self-guided lesson modules, streaming video content, virtual libraries, posted lecture notes, and exchanges across discussion boards are examples. The asynchronous model allows time for students to settle into the learning routine and for instructors to pace their facilitation.

How do I “deliver content”?

  • Consider recording short, up to 8-minute videos of mini-lectures.
  • Create videos in Canvas Studio (located on the left global navigation bar above ? help) and post them inside your online course. Videos uploaded to Studio are compacted and more accessible to students with limited internet access. For advice on how to do these things and more, see the Canvas Studio guide in MyCanvas Teacher.
  • Or consider an even more accessible option, posting mini-lectures in the form of PowerPoint slides with notes, or even a PowerPoint file and a pdf of the Notes documents, in which instructors describe the slides.

How do I deliver exams and promote academic integrity?

Assessments are powerful learning tools and provide useful information to you as an instructor.

If you have not seen your questions answered here, please consult the Deliver course content table on the Quick Start Guide page for other ideas on transforming your in-person sessions into the online environment or email celt@iastate.edu.

3 things to emphasize to all ISU students

Senior Vice President and Provost Wickert asked us to share this with you, “As you send messages (via email or Announcements, Canvas Inbox) to students regarding ISU’s conversion to virtual instruction, it is helpful to emphasize these three points consistently:

5 steps to successful teaching in Canvas

Use these key Canvas steps to ensure a successful teaching and learning experience. Conversations with undergrad and graduate students, instructional designers, and examination of tickets submitted to the ISU Solution Center helped create these points.

  1. Announcements. Every time a student logs into your course, they see whatever you provide them via the front page (How to set a Front Page guide) as well as announcements (How to add an announcement guide). During this time of uncertainty, be sure to create an informational front page and add (and remove outdated announcements) to keep students up to date.
  2. Update Notifications. Students can turn off Canvas notifications! Set your notification preferences and then explain how students can update their notifications to ensure that they receive all Canvas updates in their iastate.edu emails.
  3. Modules for Organization. Make your course easy to navigate so that students can concentrate on the subject matter at hand. Within each module, you can include PowerPoint slides, lectures, quizzes, assignments, and discussion prompts. Some instructors organize modules by weeks and some by multi-week units under the same topic.
  4. SpeedGrader. This Canvas tool is an easy and effective way to provide an electronic record of the students’ work, your feedback, and the grade (How to use SpeedGrader guide).
  5. Publish. One of the most frequent issues submitted to the ISU Solution Center is that students cannot access the course, the modules, quizzes, tests, or assignments. The solution? Publish each content item, and use Student View to make sure that they see what you see (How do I view a course as a student? web guide).

Full Teaching Tip

View the published CELT Teaching Tip: Finding success, Frequently Asked Questions & Canvas basics (March 26, 2020 – Constant Contact) website.

Prefer a Print version?

To view the Teaching Tip as a printable document with web addresses, download the CELT Teaching Tip for March 26, 2020 (PDF).

A workaround for the disruptive trolling act known as “Zoombombing”

Table of Contents

In response to the growing problem of ‘Zoombombing’, Zoom has updated the default settings. Updates include a ‘Waiting Room’ and password protection (updated on April 4, 2020).

Zoom workaround

To address this problem, Zoom has recommendations for avoiding Zoombombing.

Zoom Password Protection

A password is now required for:

  • All new meetings
  • All instant meetings
  • Participants joining by phone
  • Previously scheduled meetings – there are two options
    • Participants can enter the password when they join
    • You will have to resend the meeting link with the newly embedded password

To find the password settings, go to your online Zoom portal (Sign in with your ISU NetID and password at https://iastate.zoom.us/).

  • To resend the meeting invitation from the online Zoom portal, click on your specific meeting, then click Copy the Invitation
    • This link contains the embedded password
  • To resend the meeting invitation from the meeting room, click the Invite button at the bottom of the window, then Copy the Meeting Invitation

Zoom Waiting Room

  • Waiting Room allows the host to control when a participant joins the meeting. This can be disabled in the meeting room settings, as well as during the meeting.
  • When Waiting Room is enabled, you will receive on-screen prompts through the Participant box.
  • For more information about Zoom Waiting Rooms, visit their Waiting Room tips page.

Webex workaround

Zoombombing would also be possible if you are using the Webex tool (Not the Canvas Integration) and can be deterred by locking the meeting once everyone has joined.

NOTE:  If you are using the Canvas Integration this is not necessary and can cause issues with your meeting.

To stay up-to-date on all known issues

Bookmark or favorite the Canvas News and Updates.

“Uncertainty is a bandwidth stealer”* (Teaching Tip)

Uncertainty strains our mental, physical, and emotional resources. Much like scheduled Canvas, Webex, and Zoom maintenance updates, there are steps that we can take to help our students (and ourselves) feel a bit more certain.

I do not know about you, but I am stressed. Stressed about the well-being of my parents in a Covid-19 hot zone, worried about family members working in health care, and sad that the students in my creative thinking class do not have the experience that I had planned just a few months ago. And yet, I am sitting in my comfortable extra office/bedroom/gym with little worries that I will have a job or that I have enough food to eat. I am safe. For many of our students, staying home means a loss of employment, added responsibilities, and the stress of keeping up.

Here are some ideas to make this uncertain situation feel a bit more stable:

Consider assessment as a paradigm shift. Changed assessment strategies do not mean foregoing quality and teaching excellence. Consider how you can use Canvas quizzes and assignments as learning aids, and project and problem-based learning as essential survival skills. Even the College Board is adjusting its usual AP exams, eliminating multiple choice and reducing three-hour exams to 45 minutes. There is precedence for a temporary paradigm shift in the traditional assessment of student learning and in treating our students as adults also struggling with readjustment amidst uncertainty.

Keep accurate gradebooks. Undergraduate students will be able to take a pass/not pass at the end of this semester. Many students continue to work diligently to earn their deserved letter grades. Keeping your Canvas gradebook up to date provides students with an accurate depiction of their current standing.

Dispel the unknown. Provide students a structure and plan for the rest of the semester so that they can organize their time.

Listen to your students. With all of the uncertainties right now, do you know how your students are doing? This act can be as simple as asking your students how they’re doing. Students can write a word, sentence, paragraph, post a picture, or choose to opt-out. This one question can give you valuable information about their well-being and ability to connect to technologies and complete course work. If you can, provide prompt, encouraging feedback to students using written, video, or audio tools that reinforces you heard them.

You might also ask students to complete an anonymous plus delta to have a pulse on the positives and possible adjustments to your teaching and their learning. Create a Wordle from their responses and post prominently in your online course to inspire and help them persevere.

Uncertainty remains in many spheres of our lives. We can help students feel more certain by assuming the best, listening to them, and understanding that they are feeling as much, if not more, stress as we are.

With a joy for teaching,

Sara Marcketti, Director
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching

*Quote from author Cia Verschelden during AAC&U Webinar on “Safeguarding quality, equity, and inclusion as learning moves online.”


Full Teaching Tip

View the published CELT Teaching Tip: “Uncertainty is a bandwidth stealer”* (April 2, 2020 – Constant Contact) website.

Prefer a Print version?

To view the Teaching Tip as a printable document with web addresses, download the CELT Teaching Tip for April 2, 2020 (PDF).

Best way to set-up the Webex tool in Canvas

Follow the steps in this Webex guide to properly connect Canvas and Webex.

Note: Webex cannot be tested with the “Student View” feature and will result in an error message. If real participants receive an error or are unable to use Webex inside Canvas, they should email solution@iastate.edu with the link to the Canvas course, the time the error occurred, and which tool they were using.

Features

  • Schedule and record online class meetings
  • Create spaces for students to chat, meet, whiteboard and share files
  • Set up a schedule of virtual office hours to allow students to meet with you over a Webex meeting
  • Students can create spaces in which to collaborate

Limitations

  • No more than 1,000 users in a single WebEx Meeting
  • 24-hour maximum meeting duration

9 points to remember when building your online assessments

At a recent ISU Online Learning Community, three faculty discussed how they tackle assessments in their online courses while upholding academic integrity that focuses on their students and instructional objectives. As you begin to build your online final exams, consider these tips:

Elizabeth Stegemoller (Kinesiology) shared,

  • Remember, not all students are as tech-savvy as you may think. So, step by step instructions on how to navigate various online learning tools is beneficial. This action also eliminates a large portion of emails on this topic.
  • Accommodations are challenging. Have options prepared in advance, just in case, because students often make requests at the last minute. Also, know that some requested accommodations are not feasible given your class makeup, and this is o.k. Students will understand if you clarify your rationale.
  • Let things go and focus on what you want students to learn in your course. Reduce activities if needed but maintain your expectations for what they need to learn. Communicate your expectations and trust that students will do the right thing (academic honesty).

Monica Lamm and Karen Burt (both from Chemical and Biological Engineering) shared,

  • Communicate clear expectations during the assessment. Ask students, “Given the established ground rules for the assessment and the fact that no one is watching you, what choices are you making? How are you conducting yourself?”
  • Have students sign an academic integrity pledge. As an example, use this language, “I understand that academic integrity is expected of all Iowa State University students at all times. My submission of this assessment for grading certifies that I have read and understood the ground rules. By my signature below, I pledge that I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this assessment.”
  • Build critical reflection within each assessment. For example, “This question must be answered to receive any credit for the rest of the assessment. Reflecting on how you completed this assessment, in less than one page, describe how you adhered to the academic integrity standards of this course, the ethical standards of the Am. Inst. of Chemical Engineers, and the dignity of the profession. Be specific in your response.”

Sayali Kukday(Genetics, Development and Cell Biology) shared,

  • Keep it Simple. Avoid making drastic changes to your assessments. A sudden radical change in the format and nature of assessments might add to student anxiety. Maintain consistency as best as you can.
  • Be Flexible. Make appropriate adjustments to grading policies and incorporate flexibility in terms of providing extra credit activities that still achieve your learning objectives, but may take some pressure off of your students.
  • Communicate expectations. Be transparent about how you expect your students to maintain academic integrity when completing formative and summative assessments.
For next steps in planning your final exams, use the following resources:

4 factors to prepare for remote assessments (Teaching Tip)

So much of the spring semester 2020 is different. As you prepare for your final exams, consider the following factors, and consult the CELT Remote Assessments page for more information.

1. Determine the acceptable evidence of learning

  • Your learning goals are an excellent place to start when considering alternative assessments. Consider:
  • What can I do to promote student learning while we all are coping with COVID-19?
  • What do I hope students will be able to do by the end of my course?
  • What ways can they demonstrate what they know?
  • How can I make it more meaningful/authentic?
  • How can I incorporate knowledge creation?
  • How can I leverage the online context?

2. Consider the impact of proctored exams at this time

Traditional timed, proctored exams are possible using the tools available in Canvas along with remote proctoring tools (e.g., Lockdown Browser with Respondus Monitor) or proctor it yourself with Webex. However, proctored remote exams have several drawbacks, including increased stress and setup challenges (Woldeab & Brothen, 2019). Consider Canvas exams (quizzes), open-book exams, or the other assessment strategies (listed below) that are relatively easy to grade.

3. Choose the suitable remote assessment method

Changing a course from face-to-face to online teaching poses particular challenges. Go to the CELT Remote Assessments page and review the following options as alternatives to proctored assessments:

  • Annotated anthology or bibliography
  • e-Portfolio
  • Fact sheet
  • Group project
  • Non-traditional paper (essay)
  • Open Book or “Take-home” Exam
  • Peer- and self-review activity
  • Professional presentation or demonstration
  • Series of quizzes
  • Student-developed quiz question

4. Finally, be sure to communicate clearly your expectations to students!

Provide an announcement that contains information about the exam and ensure that students contact you with any questions. Use the guiding questions on the CELT Remote Assessments page to help outline your communication with them, clarify essential details, along with promoting academic integrity.

With a joy for teaching,

Sara Marcketti, Director
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching

References

  • Woldeab, D., & Brothen, T. (2019). 21st Century Assessment: Online Proctoring, Test Anxiety, and Student Performance. International Journal of E-Learning & Distance Education, 34(1), 1-10.
  • Information adapted from Rutger’s University Remote Exams and Assessments website.

Full Teaching Tip

View the published CELT Teaching Tip: 4 factors to prepare for remote assessments (April 21, 2020 – Constant Contact) website.

Prefer a Print version?

To view the Teaching Tip as a printable document with web addresses, download the CELT Teaching Tip for April 21, 2020 (PDF).

Take a moment to celebrate the end of this semester! (Teaching Tip)

Congratulations on the end of this historic semester in which we shifted from face-to-face to virtual teaching this spring semester!
To guide you through the grade submission process, follow the seven steps outlined on the End of Semester Checklist page. As a reminder, grades are due Tuesday, May 12 at 2:15 p.m. (Note: Due to the COVID-19 Temporary Pass/Not Pass policy, timely submission of final grades is essential.)
For summer session courses or future semesters, consider how to make your classes even more engaging for yourself and your students:
It’s never too early to prepare for the next semester. Use the Start of Semester Checklist to get a head start on your future courses.
Best wishes on the end of the semester,
Sara Marcketti, Director
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching

Full Teaching Tip

View the published CELT Teaching Tip: Take a moment (April 30, 2020 – Constant Contact) website.

Prefer a Print version?

To view the Teaching Tip as a printable document with web addresses, download the CELT Teaching Tip for April 30, 2020 (PDF).

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