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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: [email protected] or fill out our Remote Teaching Support form.

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: [email protected] or fill out our Remote Teaching Support form.

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 [email protected] 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: [email protected] or fill out our Remote Teaching Support form.

Week 3: Communication

Smeal Academy: Fall 2020 Readiness – Week 3

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 identify strategies and solutions for course communication.

Clear communication with students is critically important. Research indicates that student retention is often directly correlated with how connected students feel with their peers and their instructors (Richardson, 2017). Taking the time to post a weekly Canvas announcement can help keep your students on track and engaged in your course, especially when you may be relying more upon remote instruction. Use Announcements as a narrative to guide students through each week of your course. Supplement those announcements with email as needed for individual communication.

In addition, the way you manage your grading and student feedback is a reflection of your online presence and plays a vital role in student success. Use Canvas tools to provide personalized feedback to students so they can identify what they did well and areas that need improvement. Feedback can be in the form of written comments or audio or video feedback.

Finally, remember to keep the communication two-way. Provide ways for students to give you feedback about what is working and what is not – especially in this unprecedented semester.

Richardson, J. C., Maeda, Y., Lv, J., & Caskurlu, S. (2017). Social presence in relation to students’ satisfaction and learning in the online environment: A meta-analysis. Computers in Human Behavior, 71, 402-417.

Current News

A June 30th Penn State Newswire article about race and diversity noted that Marcus Whitehurst, Vice Provost for Educational Equity, will kick off a new three-part series of diversity roundtable discussions titled, “Toward Racial Equity at Penn State: Social Difference, Social Equity and Social Change.” The first part, “Race, Our Campus Climate and Workplace,” will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. on June 30 at https://watch.psu.edu/toward-racial-equity/ The other parts will take place on Sept. 8 and Nov. 5.

Helpful Websites

Upcoming Live Sessions: Boost Your Course Using Office 365

  • Office 365 isn’t just Office Suite: Get the most out of your Office 365 subscription 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 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.

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

Tips of the Week

Tip #1: Be clear with students about your communication plans, including setting clear expectations regarding when students can expect email replies from you.Tip #2: Consider making an announcement or providing general feedback to all students about assignments that highlights how the class did overall, demonstrates solutions where appropriate, and provides resources or tips to help students improve and grow.

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: [email protected] or fill out our Remote Teaching Support form.

Week 2: Canvas

Smeal Academy: Fall 2020 Readiness – Week 2

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 organize your Canvas learning spaces. This will be especially important for the majority of courses that will not be able to meet in person for all or most of their sessions. Designing a course with an organized structure, clear and consistent instructions, leveraging integrated tools, will reduce the number of student emails from students seeking clarification about course tasks and assignments.

Current News

All Smeal Faculty received an email from Matt Mooney describing four instructional modes for Fall. If you need help deciding which mode will be best for you, please feel free to log into one of our upcoming virtual consultations (see below) or by emailing the eLDIG team at: smeal[email protected].

Instructional Modes – Rooms Assigned

In Person Mode will still require an accommodation to be made for the students that are notable to attend the face-to-face instruction through synchronous Zoom connections or asynchronous instruction. Given the limited number of classrooms that can accommodate more than 18-20 students at a time, a number of Smeal courses would not be able to select this model. To put this into perspective, the Auditorium in the Business Building (BB110) has 150 seats but can only hold 28 students as a result of social distancing (SD) requirements, the Forum Classroom has 357 seats with a SD capacity of 64, and 100 Thomas has 726 seats with a SD capacity of 130.

Mixed Mode is recommended for courses with small enrollments such as smaller graduate-level or upper division courses. Even in the best of circumstances, most of these courses will still need to rotate a portion of the students in and out of the classroom to accommodate social distancing. Faculty will still need to make accommodations for the students that are not able to attend the face-to-face instruction.

Instructional Modes – Rooms Not Assigned

Remote Synchronous is our recommended approach for the majority of Smeal courses. From a logistical perspective, this mode provides the flexibility of synchronous instruction while still allowing for aspects of asynchronous instruction to be included. It puts both faculty and students in the same instructional environment. This allows for a faculty member to share their screen or provided a “lightboard” or whiteboard recording of examples, faculty/student interaction, real-time Q&A, and so on. I realize this still requires modification of your instructional approach compared to In-Person or Mixed Mode, but the management of some face-to-face students, some Zoom students, and some watching a recording seems a lot more labor intensive and the quality of audio (while wearing a mask) and video (a camera pointed at the podium, not the whiteboard) for the portion of students learning remotely would be a lower quality learning opportunity.

Remote Asynchronous has two major limitations. First, if you select this mode, you no longer have a scheduled class meeting time. Any synchronous instruction must be optional as students could be scheduled for another class or have other obligations (e.g., work, family, and so on) at the time you select. Additionally, this requires a fully developed online course which is much more involved than would be required for the Remote Synchronous mode.

Helpful Websites

Upcoming Live Sessions

  • Canvas Basics
  • Office 365 isn’t just Office Suite: Get the most out of your Office 365 subscription with a deep dive into some new features from Microsoft. Join us Wednesday, July 8 atfrom10-11AM via Zoom.

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

Tips of the Week

Tip #1: Don’t Reinvent the Wheel! Consider using LinkedIn Learning and other third-party videos instead of recording everything on your own.Tip #2: Check out the eLDIG Canvas courses with Lesson Templates and Teaching Tips (If you receive an access denied error, please email SmealTLT Help and we will add you to these courses):

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: [email protected] or fill out our Remote Teaching Support form.

 

Week 1: Welcome to the Smeal Academy

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.

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: [email protected] or fill out our Remote Teaching Support form.

Fall 2020 Readiness Announcement

Smeal Academy: Fall 2020 Readiness Announcement

In response to the recent University announcement and many future unknowns, we wantto reassure you that we are in this together as we all prepare for Fall 2020.

As the great songwriter Bob Dylan wrote, “The times, they are a-changin’.” As we reflect on lessons learned from the spring and summer semesters and think about how to best support the Smeal community, we have developed an academy to share resources and provide guidance.The purpose of the Smeal Academy is to equip everyone with best practices and strategies for teaching, learning and technology to ensure the Smeal community isprepared to respond to the unique challenges of Fall 2020. More details on the Academy will follow. Keep an eye out for our weekly tips, resources, and opportunities to participate in sessions designed to help us adapt to these changes!

Smeal Academy: Fall 2020 Readiness Survey – What Do You Need?

Your response to this brief survey will, in part, guide the Smeal Teaching, Learning, and Technology (TLT) Team in customizing the content of the upcoming Smeal Academy sessions and for reaching out to you individually as needed. We need your input! https://tinyurl.com/SmealAcademy2020