Remote Teaching Toolkit

Whether you are new to remote instruction or have become seasoned since the start of the pandemic, a synchronous course delivery over Zoom has a different character—to begin, develop an online teaching mindset.

Review your syllabus and assess how you can provide opportunities for asynchronous work to help mitigate concerns of Zoom fatigue for you and your students. Be sure to leverage the use of Canvas to ensure students have a central area to access course materials and homework.

Consider these five things when preparing for your remote course:

1. Establish a predictable rhythm and routine for each week of your course
2. Design or adapt activities each week to strengthen community building
3. Build opportunities for students to share their personal experiences and knowledge
   1. Incorporate small-group activities to promote student-to-student interaction
4. Create an open space for students to provide feedback to you about the class

Check out our Remote Instruction eNewsletter Archive for tips on reimagined course delivery »

Given the unique circumstances of the fall 2020 semester, students received surveys from ITS, CASA, and Student Life to share their sentiments about remote instruction. Review highlights from the student survey results »

Based on this feedback, here are four steps to take before the semester starts:

1. Make sure your Canvas course is published and students know where to meet: Provide your Zoom meeting information for the course and how students can reach you if they have questions or concerns.
2. Consider publishing an "Introduce Yourself" discussion forum so students can begin introducing themselves to one another. Respond to students' posts, and introduce yourself in the forum as well.
3. Check in with your students and make sure they have adequate access to technology needed for success in your course, including being able to access Zoom and other applications. If needed, direct students to the university's student guide »
4. Begin designing activities to strength your online learning community. Encourage students to be vulnerable, humanize their lives outside of class, and foster a culture of self-reflection.

Here are some suggestions on how to engage all your students:

• Small group discussions, such as Think-Pair-Share and snowballing
• Bring guest speakers via Zoom, and have students prepare questions in advance
• Use Google shared documents to join in learning games or analyze case studies
• Host a virtual gallery walk or poster session using breakout rooms on Zoom

Explore our pick of active learning activities for remote instruction »

Need more suggestions? Request a consultation with the Instructional Design team.

What are your current assessment strategies? How can you scaffold the learning process for students to be successful in your class, regardless of how they're participating? Determine if your assignments align to your course learning objectives. Here are some suggestions for assessing student learning:

• Assign multimedia group projects, such as creating a short video or podcast episode
• During your synchronous lectures, incorporate live polling using Poll Everywhere or Zoom
• When using breakout rooms on Zoom, have students take notes on a shared Google document
• Create concept maps with tools like Mural and Google Docs

• Basics of Remote Instruction Canvas course: Email for access »
• Register for an Instructional Design Beyond the Basics Workshop »
• Access the Remote Instruction eNewsletter Archive »
• Turner, P., & Merrill, M. (2021, May 25). Using structure to promote equity and engagement in live remote sessions. EDUCAUSE. Access the article »