Planning for Course Continuity in Uncertain Times

Course Continuity in Uncertain Times

The pandemic caught us all by surprise last semester and turned our courses as well as our lives upside down. Even as we look forward to seeing students again on campus for Fall, we must also prepare for another round of quarantine forcing classes to transition fully online again. The difference is this time we have a little bit more time to prepare! One silver lining to the extra effort this will require is that even if we do not have to close campus, designing courses with more flexibility and in multiple modalities can only make them better anyway. Here are some relevant resources and readings.

Accelerated Online Course Development from ATS

The friendly and knowledgeable folks in Academic Technology Services have created an excellent interactive guide to accelerated online course development. Internet Program Support Coordinator Chelsea Dubay shares resources and walks you through best practices in designing modules, chunking content, creating instructor presence and more.

Classic Course Design Frameworks

Refresh your understanding of core course design principles with Dr. Dee Fink's guides. Fink has a unique approach to writing course outcomes and applying backwards design principles that will work in many formats and modalities. UDL (Universal Design for Learning) is a flexible course design framework drawing on evidence-based best practices for providing multiple means of presenting, using, and engaging students with core course content.

Hybrid Flexible

Hybrid Flexible "HyFlex" is an approach to course design originally created for busy working commuter students who cannot always commit to regular class hours. It is timely now because it offers students maximum flexibility and choice while maintaining the same learning outcomes. In a HyFlex course students come to class when possible but when they cannot, multiple means of participating and getting content asynchronously online are available. HyFlex is not a simplistic model or template that can just be plugged in and used for every class or learning situation, but many tips and ideas may be gleaned from the approach. For example, in this podcast Dr. Brian Beatty describes how ideas and topics from in-class discussions can inform online discussions and vice versa.

Summer CTE Virtual Events

Ted Talk Lunch and Learn

Friday, June 5th and Friday June 19th, 2020 at Noon

During these sessions, we'll watch a Ted Talk and participate in a brief discussion. Bring a snack or your lunch but mute your mic while you munch.

Ted Talk Happy Hour

Tuesday June 9th and Tuesday June 23rd at 4PM

It's like a lunch and learn, but later in the day. Bring your favorite beverage, to a screening of a Ted Talk and participate in a discussion.

Course Innovation Camp

July 15-17, Morning and Afternoon Sessions

Join a close-knit cohort of fellow faculty for information sessions, consultation, and open working time to redesign your course for maximum dazzle. Faculty and staff from Sherrod Library and the CTE will lead sessions and discussions on course outcomes, syllabus design, curating cost-conscious course materials using library resources and more. Registration limited, apply now!