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Michael Christie

Michael Christie
In Smeal Academy Newsletter

Week 10 – Empathy and Engagement in Teaching and Learning

Smeal Academy: Fall 2020 Readiness – Week 10

The goal of the Smeal Academy is to equip everyone with best practices and strategies for teaching, learning, and technology to ensure the Smeal community is prepared to respond to the unique challenges in teaching during this time. Throughout the semester, we will be sending emails with practical tips and information, providing live sessions, and holding virtual consultations.

This week we share resources and strategies that will help promote empathy and engagement. Research shows that we must start with our own self-awareness to be empathetic and engage meaningfully with those around us (Newman, 2018).

It is important to affirm that you are also impacted by the present circumstances. Before a class session begins or before engaging in an activity, reflect on your own emotional state and expectations: Here are some questions you may ask yourself at the beginning of a day:

What are my present circumstances? How might they impact/inform my approach to teaching and my expectations of learners today?
What do I know about my students’ experiences and present circumstances in my class? How might this knowledge impact/inform my approach to teaching?
Where am I in my personal tolerance level right now?

Pausing and reflecting for a short time every day can go a long way toward helping you engage and empathize with your students.

Consider Using a Student Poll or Survey to Gauge Student Needs and Circumstances

It is also helpful to provide a way for students to communicate their needs and circumstances, seeing this is such an unprecedented semester. Consider using Zoom polling or Canvas surveys to determine whether you have any students with extenuating circumstances that might affect their learning. You can even add points to a graded survey and use it as part of the student participation grade. Here’s an example Canvas student well-being survey for your reference.

Self-paced Student Tutorials

The following iStudy online learning tutorials for essential college skills were designed to help students identify their strengths and growing edges in the following areas:

Resources
Nemwan, K. (2018, April 11). Can self-awareness help you be more empathetic? Greater Good Magazine.

Strickland, M. & Tatusko, A. (2020, August 7). Facilitating learning when students are under stress [Webinar]. Penn State University.

Current News

  • Submit Your Questions About Return to Classroom and Campus
    Faculty with questions can log on at https://tinyurl.com/On-Campus-Questions and submit their inquiries, which will be answered with available information and published as part of a regular email update for all faculty. Questions may be submitted anonymously, or submitters may wish to include their name and department or college.
  • GPC Classroom Technology and Zoom Practice Sessions
    The GPC team has unlocked their classrooms and are working diligently to get cameras for Zoom installed.  Below is some information regarding scheduling time with a technician to walk through the classroom technologies.  You are also welcome to stop on campus and check out classroom(s) on your own whenever you like.  You may still need to use your ID card to access the building, but the GPC rooms are all open 24/7.  Smeal has purchased personal lapel microphones that will be distributed to faculty next week along with their University-issued PPE items. These personal microphones may be plugged into the transmitters found in the podiums in all GPC rooms so that you don’t have to share the microphones already in the rooms.If you are teaching in a centrally-supported General Purpose Classroom (GPC) room:You can email: techclass@psu.edu to request a time slot in your GPC room.“Practice Using Zoom” is offered from TLT and Schreyer InstituteKeep checking https://keepteaching.psu.edu often for new information.

Upcoming Live Sessions

  • Engaging Students Through Assessment: (A session designed as a collaboration between TLT and eLDIG)
     How can you engage your students through online assessments (both formative and summative)? This session covers the changes you can make to your assessments to take advantage of the online environment. Topics include setting expectations for online assessments, managing student stress levels, determining the most effective delivery method in your teaching context, adapting both formative and summative assessments from in-person to online formats, and alternatives to online exams. Join us Wednesday, August 19 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. via Zoom.
  • Engaging Students Synchronously: (A session designed as a collaboration between TLT and eLDIG)
    Are you interested in improving student engagement in your synchronous online classes? This session covers best practices when engaging students in synchronous online settings. Topics include how to help students engage with the content, you, and their fellow students, as well as how to best adapt in-class activities to the synchronous online environment. This content applies to both blended and online courses. Join us Thursday, August 27 from 11 am to 12:15 p.m. via Zoom.

NOTE:  Recordings and resources from previous sessions can be found on our eLDIG  Website.

Tips of the Week

Resources

Helpful Websites

Website

Check out the eLDIG website for more resources and support.

Contact Us

Email us at: course-support@smeal.psu.edu or fill out our Remote Teaching Support form.

Michael Christie
In Smeal Academy Newsletter

Week 9: COVID-19 Course Adjustments

Smeal Academy: Fall 2020 Readiness – Week 9

The goal of the Smeal Academy is to equip everyone with best practices and strategies for teaching, learning, and technology to ensure the Smeal community is prepared to respond to the unique challenges of Fall 2020. Between now and the beginning of the Fall 2020 semester, we will be sending weekly emails with practical tips and information, providing live sessions, and holding virtual consultations.

This week we share resources and strategies that will help ensure your course syllabi reflect the Fall 2020 changes and that you have the resources to best equip you to teach in your selected instructional mode(s). Following is a list of videos and websites that provide teaching strategies based on your instructional mode(s):

In-Person Resources

There are several helpful resources on the In-Person Instruction page on the University’s Keep Teaching Website, including a number of COVID-related FAQs.

Mixed Mode Resources

The Mixed Mode Instruction page on the University’s Keep Teaching Website includes guidelines and resources for enhancing your teaching. There are also mixed mode teaching demonstration videos available:

Remote Synchronous Resources

The Remote Synchronous Mode Instruction page on the University’s Keep Teaching Website includes guidelines and resources for enhancing your teaching. There are also remote synchronous teaching demonstration videos available:

Remote Asynchronous Resources

The Remote Asynchronous Instruction page on the University’s Keep Teaching Website includes guidelines and recommendations as well as resources for enhancing your teaching.

 

Current News

Faculty Senate Suggested Syllabus Language

The Faculty Senate has posted suggested syllabus language for 2020-2021 related to mask-wearing and webcam use that you can copy, paste, and customize for your syllabi.

COVID Schedule Tool Information

The COVID Schedule Tool is intended to communicate the course instructional mode and other important details with students via a “COVID Schedule” page in Canvas. Faculty must customize the top portion of this page to communicate specific course details, including the instructional mode.

The “Groups” tab in the COVID Schedule Tool can be used to create and display custom student groups (e.g. rotation schedule for face-to-face and remote attendance).

Considerations:

  1. Students will not receive a notification of any changes in the COVID Schedule Tool. It is recommended to create a Canvas announcement to notify students of any changes to course meeting procedures.
  2. Only use the Groups tab if you have students rotating face-to-face and online for attendance purposes.

Upcoming Live Sessions

  • You Got This – Prepping Your Course for the New Normal: This session will review strategies for your first week, orientation tips and tricks, academic integrity/online honor code resources, course communication, and Canvas navigation considerations to ensure a successful course launch. Join us Wednesday, August 12 from 10 to 11 a.m. via Zoom.
  • Engaging Students Through Assessment (A session designed as a collaboration between TLT and eLDIG): How can you engage your students through online assessments (both formative and summative)? This session covers the changes you can make to your assessments to take advantage of the online environment. Topics include setting expectations for online assessments, managing student stress levels, determining the most effective delivery method in your teaching context, adapting both formative and summative assessments from in-person to online formats, and alternatives to online exams. Join us Wednesday, August 19 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. via Zoom.

NOTE:  Recordings and resources from previous sessions can be found on our eLDIG  Website.

Tips of the Week

Tip #1:  Ask a TA, friend, or colleague to review your course before you publish it. Another set of eyes can be incredibly helpful, especially with all of the COVID adjustments we’ve had to make. After publishing, some instructors will even add their Friends of Penn State limited access account as a student to give them a “true” student view once their course content is published.
Tip #2:  Use a master course to prepare and review your content before making it available to students. Didn’t get everything done that you thought you would this summer? Join the club! One strategy for editing course content in a safe (non-student) Canvas space is to request and use a Canvas Master Course to create and design your content that is still in the works. Once it’s ready, you can just import modules, pages, quizzes, etc. into your live sections.

Resources

Michael Christie
In Smeal Academy Newsletter

Week 8: Orientation for The New Normal

Smeal Academy: Fall 2020 Readiness – Week 8

The goal of the Smeal Academy is to equip everyone with best practices and strategies for teaching, learning, and technology to ensure the Smeal community is prepared to respond to the unique challenges of Fall 2020. Between now and the beginning of the Fall 2020 semester, we will be sending weekly emails with practical tips and information, providing live sessions, and holding virtual consultations.   

This week, we share resources and strategies that will help ensure a successful course launch and first week of class as we navigate this health crisis together. The following Remote and Online Teaching Guide for Instructors includes a number of helpful step-by-step guides.

As you finalize your course and prepare to open the Canvas space to students, consider what information and details students require in order to be successful. We recognize that no one really wants to redesign their course(s) or do more work than you have already taken on with COVID-19 changes. However, ensuring that your course is easy to navigate with a consistent design and providing online details about the tools, processes, and procedures used in the course will, in the long run, save you a lot of work (as well as help you avoid a flooded email inbox).

If you’re not sure where to start with your course design, Smeal’s Remote Teaching Canvas courses (organized by weeks and by modules) offer some layouts and resources that you can copy and use in your courses. With so many variables surrounding this pandemic, it is critical that courses have a clear and consistent navigation. The way students navigate your course online will overwhelmingly affect how they perceive their learning experience. Use your Canvas home page as a “North Star” for students. It should guide students to where they want or need to go in the course. Additionally, as you organize your course, imagine if a student landed in the “middle” of your course instead of the home page (this happens frequently when students click on assignments in their Canvas Dashboard “to do” lists). Your course should still have a clear navigation path in place for students to easily find what they need regardless of where they are in the course.

Current News

COVID Safety Guidance and Facility Updates

Are you curious about how your classroom(s) will be configured to accommodate for COVID-19 protocols? This August 3, 2020 PSU News story states that “Penn State will utilize plexiglass barriers, signage and various other measures, as appropriate, to provide for social distancing and other health and safety needs. Penn State also has purchased 500,000 cloth face masks and 1.5 million procedure masks that will be distributed across campuses to students and employees; several thousand additional hand-sanitizer stations will be placed in high-traffic areas; enhanced cleaning and disinfecting procedures will be employed in University facilities; and classrooms, common areas, study spaces, workspaces and other shared locations will be reconfigured with social-distancing principles in mind.” Instructions for how to view room photos are available.

Face masks and social distancing are required of all students, faculty, and staff on campus. “If a student ultimately refuses to comply after being warned, the employee should immediately file a report with the Office of Student Conduct and notify their supervisor.”

Fall Student Communication Recommendations  

Faculty received details outlining recommendations for communications to our students based on course instructional mode. The email recommends a timeline of August 3 (or earlier) for an initial communication to students via LionPATH or email. For details outlined in this email and communication templates, please refer to this document linked on the University’s Keep Teaching website. 

Upcoming Live Sessions

  • Assessment Strategies for Remote Learning: This session will explore strategies and best practices for assessment when some or all of your students are learning remotely. Join us Wednesday, August 5 from 2 to 3 p.m. via Zoom. 

  • You Got This – Prepping Your Course for the New Normal: This session will review strategies for your first week, orientation tips and tricks, academic integrity/online honor code resources, course communication, and Canvas navigation considerations to ensure a successful course launch. Join us Wednesday, August 12 from 10 to 11 a.m. via Zoom.

NOTE: Recordings and resources from previous sessions can be found on our eLDIG Website.

Tips of the Week

Tip #1:  Create a Course Orientation in Canvas. Because most courses will have some form of remote instruction and students are likely to have a number of questions, we recommend adding an orientation to your course. If you don’t already have one, you are welcome to import and customize the orientation from the Smeal Remote Teaching Canvas space.

Tip #2:  Check Your Syllabus to ensure that you have made adjustments to reflect any course changes related to COVID-19. See University guidance on what to include in course syllabi about the mask requirement.

Resources

Ask eLDIG/RIIT – Open Consultations

Zoom Hours:

  • Thursday, July 9, 1 to 3 p.m.
  • Thursday, July 16, 10 to 11 a.m.
  • More to be announced

Website

Check out the eLDIG website for more resources and support.

Contact Us

Email us at: course-support@smeal.psu.edu or fill out our Remote Teaching Support form.

Michael Christie
In Smeal Academy Newsletter

Week 7: Assessment Strategies

Smeal Academy: Fall 2020 Readiness – Week 7

The goal of the Smeal Academy is to equip everyone with best practices and strategies for teaching, learning, and technology to ensure the Smeal community is prepared to respond to the unique challenges of Fall 2020. Between now and the beginning of the Fall 2020 semester, we will be sending weekly emails with practical tips and information, providing live sessions, and holding virtual consultations.

This week, we share resources and strategies that explore assessment strategies for remote and hybrid instruction. Remember that assessments should reveal how well students have learned what we want them to learn. Asking yourself these three questions will set you off on the right path, regardless of mode:

  1. What do I want students to know how to do when they leave this course? (learning objectives)
  2. What kinds of tasks will reveal whether students have achieved the learning objectives I have identified?
  3. What kinds of activities in and out of class will reinforce my learning objectives and prepare students for assessments?

Once you have made these determinations, determine how you can utilize Canvas for the submission and grading of all assignments. This will allow you to be the most agile and allow for easier submission to LionPATH at the end of the semester. You may also consider adaptations that discourage cheating such as the following: breaking up larger exams into smaller, lower-stakes exams; allowing the use of open-book; and/or employing problem- or project-based assessments.

 

Current News

Fall Student Communication Recommendations Last week, faculty received details outlining recommendations for communications to our students based on course instructional mode. The email recommends a timeline of August 3 (or earlier) for an initial communication to students via LionPATH or email. For details outlined in this email and communication templates, please refer to this document linked on the University’s Keep Teaching website.

Zoom Meeting Changes

Starting Sept. 27th, 2020, all meetings must have either a Waiting Room or Passcode enabled. A passcode is now part of the default meeting settings for all new meetings. However, if you are using a meeting that was previously set up without a passcode or waiting room, Zoom will automatically add a waiting room to that meeting. This list of FAQs from Zoom describes this change and what you should do to respond.

Schreyer Institute Faculty Survey

To ensure that efforts of the Online Faculty Teaching Communities (FTC) sponsored by the Schreyer Institute are aligned with faculty needs, they have developed a very brief, three-item, faculty needs survey. Please consider taking a few minutes (estimated completion time is about 5 minutes) to provide your feedback.

Upcoming Live Sessions

  • Student Engagement and Connection Strategies: This session will review active learning strategies for remote and asynchronous teaching contexts. Join us Wednesday, July 29 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. via Zoom.
  • Assessment Strategies for Remote Learning: This session will explore strategies and best practices for assessment when some or all of your students are learning remotely. Join us Wednesday, August 5 from 2 to 3 p.m. via Zoom.

NOTE:  Recordings and resources from previous sessions can be found on our eLDIG  Website.

Tips of the Week

Tip #1: Rubrics are an extremely helpful tool for grading. Add a rubric to your Canvas assignments (https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-26472-how-do-i-add-a-rubric-to-an-assignment) to provide students with clear assignment expectations and to help you be more consistent in grading students across multiple students and sections.

Tip #2: Consider adding an academic integrity page to your course orientation or getting started materials. Students can sign the Smeal Honor Code online. Please refer to this sample Academic Integrity lesson with a link for students to sign the online honor code.

Resources

Ask eLDIG/RIIT – Open Consultations

Zoom Hours:

  • Thursday, July 9, 1 to 3 p.m.
  • Thursday, July 16, 10 to 11 a.m.
  • More to be announced

Website

Check out the eLDIG website for more resources and support.

Contact Us

Email us at: course-support@smeal.psu.edu or fill out our Remote Teaching Support form.

Michael Christie
In Smeal Academy Newsletter

Week 6: Instructional Mode Teaching Strategies

Welcome to the Smeal Academy: Fall 2020 Readiness!

The goal of the Smeal Academy is to equip everyone with best practices and strategies for teaching, learning, and technology to ensure the Smeal community is prepared to respond to the unique challenges of Fall 2020. Between now and the end of July, we will be sending weekly emails with practical tips and information, providing live sessions, and holding virtual consultations.

Current News

University Announcements: https://virusinfo.psu.edu/

Smeal Announcements: https://www.smeal.psu.edu/virus-info

Upcoming Live Sessions

  • TEACHTalk: Hybrid Models for Learning, Part 2
    Hear about how ACCTG 211 and FIN 301 implemented a flexible model based on student choice. If you are considering adopting a shared content model using some of their strategies or just want to learn more, please join us on Wednesday, June 17 from 11am-Noon via Zoom.
  • Canvas Basics
    New to Canvas? Want a refresher? This is the session for you! Join us on Wednesday, June 24 at 2 – 3PM via Zoom.

NOTE:  Recordings and resources from previous sessions can be found on our eLDIG  Website.

Tips of the Week

Tip #1: Get started on your Canvas development.Using a Canvas Master Course to design and develop your course is considered best practice. You can import your completed Master Course into your live Canvas course section(s) prior to the start of the semester. Request your own Master Course in Canvas: https://pennstate.service-now.com/kb?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0011048

Tip #2: Upgrade your syllabus.

A great syllabus will save you time! Students will ask fewer questions when course expectations are clear. See Building Stellar Syllabi for more information: http://www.personal.psu.edu/bxb11/Syllabus/

Resources

Ask eLDIG/RIIT – Open Consultations

Zoom Hours:

  • Thursday, July 9, 1 to 3 p.m.
  • Thursday, July 16, 10 to 11 a.m.
  • More to be announced

Website

Check out the eLDIG website for more resources and support.

Contact Us

Email us at: course-support@smeal.psu.edu or fill out our Remote Teaching Support form.

Michael Christie
In Smeal Academy Newsletter

Week 5: Videos

Smeal  Academy: Fall 2020 Readiness – Week 5

The goal of the Smeal Academy is to equip everyone with best practices and strategies for teaching, learning, and technology to ensure the Smeal community is prepared to respond to the unique challenges of Fall 2020. Between now and the end of July, we will be sending weekly emails with practical tips and information, providing live sessions, and holding virtual consultations.

This week, we share resources that can help you prepare for recording and sharing recordings for your fall course(s). We encourage you to plan to record your lectures ahead of time so that students can view the content asynchronously. That way, you can ensure that any time spent synchronously with your students can involve more engaging, active learning activities.

Instructors can use Zoom to record lectures ahead of time and post them in Canvas for students to watch. Consider creating shorter instructor videos of lecture content (ideally videos are no longer than 5-7 minutes). Research shows that students will watch a larger percentage of course videos that are shorter versus longer (Brame, 2016).

Zoom can auto-add the captions to the video if you’ve enabled it in your settings; adding captions will make your video more accessible for students. You can also provide your slides in a consistent, distributable format (e.g., pdf) that is accessible to students with visual impairments.

Works Cited

Brame C. J. (2016). Effective Educational Videos: Principles and Guidelines for Maximizing Student Learning from Video Content. CBE life sciences education, 15(4), es6. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.16-03-0125.

 

Current News

Use of Harvard Cases in Teaching
A question came up in our Smeal Community meeting and in some consultations regarding the use of Harvard Cases with remote instruction and video recording. If your students are paying for Harvard Course Packs AND your videos are only available to students who are logged into University-supported tools such as Canvas, Zoom, and Kaltura via WebAccess and not shared publicly to the general public, you can review Harvard cases in your courses and record, then share your lectures with students while remaining copyright compliant.

Helpful Websites

Upcoming Live Sessions

  • Strategies and Tools for Live and Pre-Recorded Course Videos: Are you pre-recording your lectures for Fall but not sure where to begin? Do you have questions about Zoom settings for teaching and learning? Are you curious about best practices for sharing your recordings? This session will focus on tips and strategies for recording, hosting, and sharing recordings from an instructor’s perspective. Join us Wednesday, July 15 from 1 to 2 p.m. via Zoom.
  • Using iPads as Whiteboards in Remote Learning: This session will explore strategies and best practices for using iPads as whiteboards when leading remote classes via Zoom. Join us Wednesday, July 22 from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. via Zoom.

NOTE:  Recordings and resources from previous sessions can be found on our eLDIG  Website.

Tips of the Week

Tip #1: Consider recording a “Welcome” or “Meet Your Instructor” video, as it provides students with a sense of who their instructor is, and helps to set the tone for the duration of the course, especially when you may not be meeting face-to-face.

Tip #2: Hold students accountable for watching lectures by creating Kaltura video quizzes or creating synchronous activities based on the content.

Resources

Ask eLDIG/RIIT – Open Consultations

Zoom Hours:

  • Thursday, July 16, 10 to 11 a.m.
  • Thursday, July 23, 1 to 3 p.m.
  • More to be announced

Website

Check out the eLDIG website for more resources and support.

Contact Us

Email us at: course-support@smeal.psu.edu or fill out our Remote Teaching Support form.

Michael Christie
In Smeal Academy Newsletter

Week 4: Syllabus

Smeal Academy: Fall 2020 Readiness – Week 4

The goal of the Smeal Academy is to equip everyone with best practices and strategies for teaching, learning, and technology to ensure the Smeal community is prepared to respond to the unique challenges of Fall 2020. Between now and the end of July, we will be sending weekly emails with practical tips and information, providing live sessions, and holding virtual consultations.

This week, we share resources that can help you prepare your syllabus. First off, we recommend that you continue to check in with Penn State’s website dedicated to the return to teaching in fall, https://keepteaching.psu.edu/. An announcement has been posted there that states that, “The University will provide syllabus language for instructors on safety protocols and guidance for managing the classroom.” Currently, there is an evolving document available that shares syllabus policy guidance regarding enforcing mask-wearing in class. We will share additional information as it becomes available through the Smeal Academy emails.

Remember that the syllabus serves as a contract between the instructor and students, giving students information they need to understand in order to be successful in your class. In many cases, the syllabus is the first point of contact with students. A well-written syllabus provides a solid foundation for the entire semester. There are critical elements and policies that every syllabus should contain. eLDIG’s Canvas templates include an example syllabus that you can easily download and modify (email smealtlthelp@psu.edu if you can’t access).

Current News

Masking and social distancing classroom policies in effect for fallA July 2 PSU News story noted that, “To reduce the risk of widespread virus transmission, wearing face masks and social distancing will be required for all students and employees in classrooms, labs, offices and campus buildings. Students and employees also should practice social distancing, avoid large gatherings and wear face masks while on campus, as well as within their local communities in line with local and state requirements.” The University has purchased masks to help with compliance. Additionally, students (and faculty) who are sick are encouraged to stay home. The article further states that, “While high levels of compliance are expected based on feedback from recent student and employee University surveys, those who put others at risk by not following the University’s requirements will be held accountable in a manner consistent with how other violations of Penn State guidelines and policies are managed.

We encourage faculty to consider how this policy will be reflected in your course syllabi. As resources become available, we will add them to our shared Canvas course resources.

Helpful Websites

Upcoming Live Sessions: Boost Your Course Using Office 365

  • Office 365 isn’t just Office Suite: Get the most out of Office 365 with a deep dive into some new features from Microsoft. Join us Wednesday, July 8, from 10 to 11 a.m. via Zoom.
  • Strategies and Tools for Live and Pre-recorded Course Videos: Are you pre-recording your lectures for Fall, but aren’t sure where to begin? Do you have questions about Zoom settings for teaching and learning? Are you curious about best practices for sharing your recordings? This session will focus on tips and strategies for recording, hosting, and sharing recordings from an instructor’s perspective. Join us Wednesday, July 15, from 1 to 2 p.m. via Zoom.

NOTE:  Recordings and resources from previous sessions can be found on our eLDIG  Website.

Tips of the Week

Tip #1: Write your syllabus with your students in mind. You may find it helpful to ask a colleague or friend to read your syllabus and provide feedback.

Tip #2: The use of visual syllabi is on the rise. In many cases students find them more appealing than a strictly print-based one and thus tend to read them with more care. Creation of visual syllabi requires some ability to work with graphics and are harder to update, so they are not for everyone! If you are interested, here are some sites to investigate:

Resources

Ask eLDIG/RIIT – Open Consultations

Zoom Hours:

  • Thursday, July 9, 1 to 3 p.m.
  • Thursday, July 16, 10 to 11 a.m.
  • More to be announced

Website

Check out the eLDIG website for more resources and support.

Contact Us

Email us at: course-support@smeal.psu.edu or fill out our Remote Teaching Support form.