Pandemic Tip #1: Continuity of Instruction

Image by Tumisu from Pixabay 

COVID-19 has put a dent in our plans for the Spring 2020 semester. In the past week, many colleges and universities have made the difficult decision to replace traditional F2F classes with online and alternate formats. But that puts a lot of people waaaay out of their comfort zone. 

First, I think it's best to stop thinking about this as "online teaching." What we're really doing is continuity of instruction through digital format. Online teaching, like traditional teaching, requires a lot of preparation to create the best learner experience. What most of us are doing this week is transforming F2F courses into an alternate format. And in this situation, that's OK. 

Give yourself permission to teach "good enough." For many people I know, letting go of their perfectionist tendencies may be the hardest part of this whole experience. But perfect is the enemy of good. The most important quality in this situation is adaptability. 

Online students tend to be nervous that they are missing something, so create a schedule and stick to it relentlessly. Changes that seem minor to you can make students feel like things are spinning out of control.

Online students tend to feel isolated. Social presence is a crucial part of an effective online course and positive student experience. Log in to the course every day. Post regular announcements and send emails to remind them that you are still there. When you goof up, admit it, fix it, and be generous in reacting to the fallout. It might seem silly to you, but students are taking all of this very seriously.

Create a General Q&A discussion thread. Students should post questions about the course there, not in email to you, so that others can see the answer. Personal questions should go to email, not the Q&A, to protect student privacy.

Speaking of General Q&A, one of my jobs right now is to field questions from faculty about continuity of instruction. Some FAQs might help you, too. 

Do we have a choice about the form of online instruction—synchronous vs. asynchronous—that we are to use for our former f2f classes?

Check with your academic dean about the expectations at your university. At mine, faculty do have a choice in the format. Synchronous could be easier for instructors of courses that involve a lot of lecture, but if asynchronous is a better fit for your course material and teaching style, go ahead and design that way. 

Remember, your course doesn't need to be perfect. If you usually lecture, don't bother learning how to create, edit, and share videos. Create weekly video conference meetings and talk to your students. Record the video so students who miss the meeting can watch it.

If your course is more experiential, imagine ways that students can demonstrate what they are learning through other media. Can they create video recordings of performances? Can they practice music over the phone? 

Labs are going to be the most difficult experiences to replicate. If you're not sure what to do, perhaps there is some comfort that no one has a good answer for this kind of course. Some suggestions are available at Minnesota State University's Keep Teaching website. 

Can we expect or require that students attend synchronous sessions scheduled during part (say 90 minutes) of the time that the class met on campus?

If faculty choose to use synchronous class meetings, we do expect them to use their regularly scheduled block of time. After all, we know that they have already blocked that time on their calendars. But we ask that you relax your attendance policy...or better yet, eliminate it.

Please make the adjustment as easy on students as possible, keeping in mind that they have other commitments outside of class and may not be available for meetings or group work outside of those hours. They may be called in to work or be responsible for childcare during class hours. The next few weeks will be unpredictable. Please don't add more stress to what students are already feeling.

Can we expect or require that students have webcams, microphones, and fast connections?

Students were not expecting to attend online classes. Unlike the subset of students who enrolled in online courses, they did not opt in to this experience. We cannot require them to purchase technology like webcams or scanners at the last minute. (Indeed, I doubt Best Buy could handle the demand). Although I hope they would be able to upgrade internet connection, and Comcast and Charter are offering deals for students, but those of us who live in cities may forget that students in rural areas may not be able to access high speed internet from home even if it is free. 

We are asking faculty to survey your students about their capabilities and design courses that work within their limitations. If you want a sample survey, Lauren Cagel at University of Kentucky has shared her questionnaire online. 

Will MSU (and Minnesota State) have sufficient resources for additional Zoom meetings?
If your institution is like mine, your IT department has been working on that all week: higher bandwidths, more licenses, etc. Some will be able to handle the surge, although they also need another week to prep. Some won't. Please be patient with them. The IT folks are doing their best under unprecedented circumstances.

In the next few posts, I will offer some advice based on lessons I learned the hard way in over a decade of online teaching.