The suggestions below are intended to be general guidelines for moving your class online temporarily due to a campus or personal emergency. For more detailed guidance, see the IU Keep Teaching website.
Pivot Your Course Online FAQ
FAQ | Strategy & Tools | Keep in Mind |
What equipment do I and my students need to access course materials? | Desktop computer or laptop preferable Smartphone in a pinch High-speed internet | Wi-fi can become unstable at times. Use a wired connection whenever available. |
How can I communicate updates, changes, and other relevant information to my students? | Use multiple modes of communication to reach all students. Automatically forward your office phone to home IU Email Canvas Announcements | Announcement messages will not only appear at the top of your course site home page in Canvas but will also send a notification to the student's email if students have their notifications set |
How can I distribute documents, course materials and readings after pivoting to teaching online? | · Materials can be placed in the Files tool · link to Pages or Assignments tool to present these files to students. | If you already distribute course materials virtually, continue using that approach. |
How can I find and use teaching materials about my subject area that are already designed for online teaching/learning? | Colleagues within and beyond IU | Generic template designs for the various tools within Canvas are available from the Canvas Studio and KeepTeaching @ IU resources in Canvas Commons |
How can I pre-record a lesson or lecture that students can view later online? | Kaltura Express Recording - Runs in the web browser and records from a webcam and/or microphone. No screen recording.
Kaltura Personal Recording - Used for recording video in high definition. You easily can choose to record any combination of your webcam, microphone, or software on your computer screen.
Zoom - Used for recording a single user and/or their screen as well as recording multiple users interacting at the same time. Zoom also has the ability to share your screen during recording. | Break up your lectures into smaller components or sub-topics roughly 5-10 minutes in length. This will make it easier for students to find specific content when reviewing material while creating more engaging and digestible video content. |
How can I hold office hours while I am off campus? | Hold open office hours during your normal class meeting time or during your normally scheduled office hours.
| Provide an option for scheduled office hours for students who need to meet privately. |
How can my students engage in a discussion after pivoting to teaching online? | Canvas discussion tool - Used for asynchronous student interactions. Zoom - Used for synchronous meetings with whole class. Students can also be assigned to breakout rooms to collaborate within groups. | For a low tech solution, Zoom meetings can be hosted, and attended, using a smartphone. |
How can I collect students’ work and provide feedback digitally? | A number of Canvas tools will record student responses and can be set up to allow file submissions. Feedback within Canvas can be provided to students using Speedgrader | |
How can I offer real-time feedback to students in an online environment in a laboratory or studio art setting? | Coming Soon | |
What does attendance look like for an online course? | Attendance looks like presence online. What opportunities are you giving students to engage with you, peers, and content regularly?
Engagement with instructor Engagement with peers Engagement with content
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How do I convert my exams? | Move exams to Canvas Quizzes Reschedule exams | If proctoring is a concern, consider making exams open-book, allowing students a resource sheet, or changing questions from knowledge level to apply. |