COVID-19 Continuity of Instruction Scenarios, Strategies and Resources

Rationale:

Maintaining student learning is central to the University of San Francisco’s fundamental mission of academic excellence.  In the event that one or more students in their classes may need to self-isolate or be quarantined OR that an entire class, including the faculty member, will need to self-isolate or be quarantined, all faculty must prepare accordingly using the resources outlined in this document.  Faculty will need to maintain continuity of instruction for all students.

Definitions:

Social Distancing means remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding local public transportation (e.g., bus, subway, taxi, ride share), and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others. If social distancing is recommended, presence in congregate settings or use of local public transportation should only occur with approval of local or state health authorities.

Self-isolation means the separation of a person or group of people known or reasonably believed to be infected with a communicable disease and potentially infectious from those who are not infected to prevent spread of the communicable disease. Isolation for public health purposes may be voluntary or compelled by federal, state, or local public health order.

Quarantine generally means the separation of a person or group of people reasonably believed to have been exposed to a communicable disease but not yet symptomatic, from others who have not been so exposed, to prevent the possible spread of the communicable disease, typically a result of an enforceable order that imposes restrictions on movement by state and local governments or health agencies.

Immediate steps for all faculty:

  1. Confirm you can access the following educational technologies from a computer you are able to use at home:
  2. Review the USF Continuity of Instruction policy, and become familiar with the following scenarios:
    • Some students are self-isolating or quarantined, but remaining students and faculty are in the classroom. Faculty will facilitate remote learning for self-isolating or quarantined students, including using Canvas or TWEN (SOL) to continue instruction and record grades. See below for strategies faculty can employ to support remote learning.
    • Faculty and all students in the class are self-isolating or quarantined, and faculty are still able to teach. Faculty will employ strategies, including using Canvas or TWEN (SOL) to continue instruction and record grades, to continue instruction remotely. See below for strategies faculty can employ to continue coursework remotely.
    • If faculty are too ill to maintain continuity of instruction, they will work with their department chair and dean/associate dean to identify and arrange for another faculty member to take over the class.
  3. Place all key course documents (e.g. syllabi, assignments, reading list) and establish a complete and regularly updated gradebook in your Canvas or TWEN (SOL) course so that students can access them remotely.
  4. Review USF online resources related to online teaching and learning and related educational technologies, including Canvas or TWEN (SOL) and Zoom, which have been aggregated on the ETS Teaching through Emergencies website. 
  5. Consider attending an ETS workshop or training, or scheduling a 1:1 consultation with an instructional designer or technologist. ETS has also developed a special Continuity of Instruction Online Workshop, which will be offered online via Zoom 6 times the week of March 9, 2020.

Note about campus or additional location site closure versus canceling classes:

Closing the physical location of courses does not have to interrupt instruction in all cases. In many cases, coursework and learning can be maintained remotely. Dean offices will work directly with program directors and/or instructors to make up instruction for courses that require face-to-face interaction. Days would be added to the academic calendar for courses where student learning could not be maintained remotely or through modified assignments and activities. The extended academic calendar would most likely include the use of study day and weekend days.

Note about student absences:

Students who are self-isolating due to possible exposure or are in quarantine may be able to continue their coursework remotely through technology. If they cannot join the class in real time, instructors may provide them with alternative assignments through email or Canvas. All students not in class are expected to make up the coursework. The CDC is not recommending that people isolate who have no known exposure to the virus. Some students may be concerned about traveling to campus or have been advised to not attend class due to personal health conditions. These situations may be handled on a case-by-case basis and instructors may want to seek input from their department chairs, program directors, and associate deans. Instructors are encouraged to connect students who are very anxious with support and counseling resources available to them in CASA and CAPS.

Scenarios and Strategies:

  1. Some students are self-isolating or quarantined, but remaining students and faculty are in the classroom. Faculty will facilitate remote learning for self-isolating or quarantined students, including using Canvas to continue instruction and record grades. Faculty will employ the following strategies to support remote learning for self-isolating or quarantined students:
    • Join the self-isolating or quarantined students live to your class via Zoom. 
    • Record a lecture using Zoom, post it in Canvas, and provide a discussion question assignment to students who are self-isolating or quarantined. 
    • If the class is held in a classroom equipped with an Echo 360 Classroom Capture device, an alternative to a) and b) is to request to have your class live-streamed and/or recorded and posted in Canvas for asynchronous viewing. (Request classroom recording. Request addition of live streaming.)
    • Hold extended, online office hours using Zoom with students who are self-isolating or quarantined to discuss material. 
    • Provide self-isolating or quarantined students with additional class assignments via Canvas related to missed material. 
    • Establish a complete and regularly updated gradebook in Canvas. 
  2. Faculty and all students in the class are self-isolating or quarantined, and faculty are still able to teach. Faculty will employ strategies, including using Canvas to continue instruction and record grades, to continue instruction remotely, including the following:
    • Conduct class live via Zoom. 
    • Record lectures using Zoom, post in Canvas, and provide related discussion question assignments or online quizzes in Canvas. 
    • Use Canvas discussions to facilitate student to student and faculty to student interaction and instruction. Create a discussion assignment. 
    • Develop small group projects and/or discussion prompts, which students can complete using Google Docs and Zoom. Faculty should participate in some capacity to provide feedback and instruction. 
    • Hold extended, online office hours using Zoom with students to discuss material. 
    • Establish a complete and regularly updated gradebook in Canvas. 

For additional ideas on how to conduct coursework online, access the following pages: