Best Practices for Distance Learning_Instructor Tips NTLC

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-STOUT

Best Teaching Practices for Distance Learning Nakatani Teaching and Learning Center Instructor Tip Sheet

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Instructors have different ways of teaching students and engaging them in the learning process. The following tips and strategies are suggestions based on well-researched distance learning practices; however, you are encouraged to choose those ideas that best support your instruction and are applicable to your students’ educational needs.

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Teaching students new (or somewhat new) to distance learning:

Learn about student needs and preferences for distance learning strategies by surveying them. Accommodate their needs or requests when possible. This will help students feel that you are taking their personal situations into consideration. Be aware that students may have unequal access to technology, hardware, and software. Encourage students to work with UW-Stout’s HelpDesk staff so that they have the tools to successfully achieve course learning outcomes. Record lectures and virtual meetings so they can be downloaded and viewed by students later. Provide approved accommodations for students who present accommodations documentation from Disability Services. Contact Disability Services , Stout Online Instructional Design , or Learning Technology Services about producing accessible course content. For all recordings (lectures, videos, movies, etc.), make sure that your visual content can be clearly translated by a screen-reader. PDFs are generally more accessible for students who use screen-readers. Simplify materials for accessibility. Make sure that recorded lectures and videos have captions and/or transcripts and provide materials in simplified text format.

Ensure all files, images, videos, and other posted content are accessible and mobile-friendly by working with UW-Stout’s technology and disabilities staff.

Post a syllabus that complies with the UW-Stout Faculty Senate Approved Syllabus Policy. Click here to see the Curriculum Handbook statement and house it in several locations. Indicate when office hours are and how students can access them online.

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Create a firm schedule and a set of positive class habits and stick to them. For example, every week post a weekly “student to-do list” on announcements. Use checklists, rubrics, and similar simple structures to help people not feel lost in virtual environments. Be as clear and consistent as possible, especially for class expectations and for “live” or timed events. Provide all essential information (required assignments, etc.) in a centralized spot. Consider the pros and cons of providing asynchronous and synchronous learning experiences. If you choose one format over the other such as making all course materials asynchronous, occasionally host live lectures, chats or office hours that allow for real time questions/feedback. This will lessen inequities that some students may experience in the online learning environment. Be flexible and open. Review your syllabus and perhaps alter course policies (deadlines, workload expectations, etc.) to accommodate new distance learning needs.

Provide diverse methods of delivering content (lectures, videos, recorded demonstrations, simulations, etc.). Create flexible activities and alternative ways for students to demonstrate knowledge and be assessed. 5

Be transparent and clear about your course expectations and assignments. Explain to students why they are being asked to do assignments and how they will benefit from what they are learning. Scan your students’ feedback and assignments for cues about how they are doing in your digital courses. Remember that social connection, feedback, language, and environmental cues about learning matter even more in your online class. With fewer opportunities to ask questions or read body language, students can feel isolated and discouraged. Perhaps incentivize students to ask questions (extra points) that encourage clarity and curiosity. Be very explicit about your feedback and give MORE than you would in a face-to-face classroom. Use video and/or audio-recorded feedback to provide personalized responses but be cognizant of the needs of hearing-impaired students. Get to know your students and make them feel respected and valued. Research indicates that students (particularly underrepresented students and those with already-challenging circumstances) perform better in classes where their identities are acknowledged, and they are treated as a whole person. To achieve this, teachers can send out a thoughtful introductory letter, a welcoming video or give students a reflection assignment allowing them to express concerns, feelings, and experiences (relevant to the class or not).

Create a course environment that includes and values all students. Be mindful that students from different identity groups (race, ethnicity, age, religious affiliation, gender, sexual orientation) may have different responses to a crisis. Address microaggressions in discussion boards and chats, modeling positive, inclusive responses, and integrate culturally relevant discipline content; contact the Intercultural Development Ambassador and NTLC for resources. 6

Post modules early AND keep them open with all required work and meeting times so that students can prepare and organize their schedule. This gives them time to ask questions on assignments prior to due dates. Keep a consistent pace with grading assignments and posting grades. This helps inform students of where they currently stand. Create distance learning agreements to help students manage and effectively learn in their virtual courses. Common agreements might include: Blackboard Collaborate or Microsoft Teams etiquette, active participation in discussions, and taking pen and paper notes. Establish supportive interpersonal relationships with students. Provide opportunities for students to have live, synchronous chats with you and suggest supportive resources if needed.

Hold virtual office hours using Collaborate Ultra in Canvas or Microsoft Teams.

Create a student space in the online chatroom such as a “coffeeshop area” where students can discuss topics that may or may not be related to the course. Pair the online text environment with 1-on-1 supportive conversations by occasionally holding student conferences via phone. Respond to emails, questions, discussion posts in a timely manner.

Break content into smaller pieces -- interweave lecture videos (6 minutes or less) with questions, even very simple ones, to keep students engaged.

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Use virtual group work for assignments and dialogue to help students increase their course competencies, build relationships with classmates, and develop interpersonal communication skills. While not all instructors use groupwork assignments, if you do, here are some best practices from Faculty Focus, Higher Ed Teaching Strategies, Magna Publications: Intentionally create teams of members who bring different traits and skills to the group. Keep groups small and odd numbered. Teams comprised of 3 to 5 students are manageable and an odd number of participants eliminates the potential for groups being split when making decisions. Set clear expectations for individual contributions. Identify individual contributions and expectations for each team member. Use a jigsaw approach to divide projects into equal parts and provide a framework that helps facilitate that dissemination process. Create a virtual group space. Include a discussion board, a file sharing area, and a space for live, real-time sessions or chats. Provide guidance so that all students know how to access and use the virtual team space to support their group work.

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Consider whether and how to discuss the cause of the Covid-19 disruption to your course. Possibly prepare for the conversation by reviewing the CTE resource Teaching after Hurricane Harvey and Teaching in Times of Crisis from the Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Practice self-care because transitioning to online teaching requires a balancing act that can be stressful and necessitate more emotional labor than usual. Allow flexibility in course planning, be transparent with students, and expect that mistakes and hiccups will happen! The NTLC is available to problem-solve with you. Assign individual and team grades. Give both individual and team grades for group assignments. Giving individual grades requires a clear expectation for individual contributions and it increases accountability. Develop a peer feedback system. Develop a template for gathering peer feedback and share it with students prior to the project. Peer evaluations are beneficial because they encourage collaboration among students, revealing those who do not participate fully while recognizing those who do. Monitor online group space. Participate by occasionally being “present” within the virtual space, and consistently offer advice and feedback as the team progresses through a project. This is an advantage for students struggling to navigate the team site.

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Common Terms and Definitions:

Distance or remote learning is the umbrella term for any learning that takes place across distance and not in a traditional classroom (dVinci Training). Online learning takes place over the internet and is one type of distance learning (Wlac.edu). Alternative delivery systems develop many creative ways of working together for the benefit of all students. National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET). Hybrid approach to course delivery combines face-to-face classroom instruction with online activities (PennState). Synchronous teaching is where the teacher is present at the same time as the learner(s) and can take place via online learning (OpenLearn). Asynchronous online teaching is where teaching materials are posted online, and learners work through them in their own time, communicating with each other and the teacher via distance (OpenLearn).

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References: Appalachia State University Center for Academic Excellence. (2020). Returning to class: Holding space for students. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QX4XJQhvIT1r79Jo-4GMx- s57Kre1oRjXnE_ZbSREIk/edit?ts=5e70cbb1 on May 6, 2020.

Baruch-Feldman (2017). The grit guide for teens: A workbook to help you build perseverance, self-

control and a growth mindset. Oakland, CA: Instant Help Books.

Catlin, H. (2020). Tips for success: Keep learning using alternative learning methods. Available at https://liveuwstout.sharepoint.com/sites/2022/059/Documents/Pandemic/Tips%20for%20 Students.pdf?csf=1&e=bBgq8f&cid=675c47e2-8b9d-498b-8611-d798f32c5ca3

Darby, F. (2019). Small teaching online: Applying learning science in online classes. San Francisco:

Jossey-Bass.

Designing effective course projects in online courses. (2016, Jan). Faculty Focus. Higher Ed Teaching Strategies from Magna Publications. Reprinted from Online Classroom, 15.1 (2015): 1,6. © Magna Publications. Elkind, S. San Diego State University Center for Teaching and Learning. (2020). Five days to virtual teaching: A day-by-day planner for making the most of the “pause”. Retrieved from https:// diversity.sdsu.edu/resources/inclusive-pedagogy on May 1, 2020.

Quality Matters. (2020). QM emergency remote instruction checklist. Retrieved from https://diversity.sdsu.edu/resources/inclusive-pedagogy on May 5, 2020.

Rice University Center for Teaching Excellence. Inclusion, equity, and access while teaching remotely. Retrieved from https://cte.rice.edu/blogarchive/2020/3/13/inclusion-equity-and-ac- cess-while-teaching-remotely on May 1, 2020. Rice University Center for Teaching Excellence. (2017, September 4). Teaching after Hurricane Harvey. Retrieved from https://cte.rice.edu/blogarchive/2017/9/4/harvey on May 1, 2020.

Ruppe, A. Student Support Services and Fostering Success. (2020). Instructor tips for supporting

online learning for students. UW-Stout.

Ruppe, A. Student Support Services and Fostering Success. (2020). Student online learning tips.

UW-Stout.

San Diego State University, California. (2020). Guidance for maintaining equity and inclusion in virtual learning environments. Retrieved from https://diversity.sdsu.edu/resources/inclusive-pedagogy April 30, 2020.

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References (continued):

Surdick, R., Simoneau, M., Shriner, B. and Ramaker, A. (2020). Student successes: Voices and

barriers in online learning. NTLC SoTL Team project.

University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Learning Center. (n.d.). Studying 101: Study smarter not

harder.

UW Extended Campus. (2020). Keep teaching Covid-19 resource. Available at

https://media.uwex.edu/keepteaching/

UW-Stout Online Infographics. (n.d.). Time Management in online courses.

UW-Stout SmarterMeasure (Assessment that measures online learner readiness for engaging in

distance learning and a technology-rich environment). Available at https://uwstout.smartermeasure.com/

Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. (n.d.). Teaching in times of crisis

Retrieved from https://s3.amazonaws.com/vu-wp0/wp-content/uploads/ sites/59/2010/06/02133828/crisis.pdf

Vargas, D. (2020). Generalized online learning tips for students. UW-Stout Dean of Students.

You have to put your class online: Simple things to think about. (2020). Retrieved from https://diversity.sdsu.edu/resources/inclusive-pedagogy on May 1, 2020.

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