Skip to Main Content

Teaching Remotely

1.  Plan Early

Consider your course and determine what you will need to continue teaching online if necessary.

In order to teach online you will need access to a computer, internet connection and possibly a microphone and webcam.

Consider the goals for your course. What tools will you use during your time online? You may consider your needs and readiness in the following areas:

  • Electronic Course Materials (Syllabus, PowerPoints, Articles, Websites)
  • Pre-Recorded Lectures
  • Synchronous, Live Lectures (inviting students to join at the same time)
  • Online Quizzes or Exams
  • Electronic Assignments
  • Class Discussions
  • Gradebook
  • Announcements & Student Communication
  • Online Office Hours or Recitation Sessions

Your UD eLearning Team is here to support you. We will be offering training sessions throughout the semester as well as the week of Spring Break (March 16-20). You can sign up for one of those sessions on our Google Calendar.

2.  Communicate With Your Students

As you plan for the rest of the semester, communicate your plan with your students.

Continue communicating with your students regularly. As uncertainty continues, stay in regular communication with your students so that they are aware of course activities, class meetings, and assessments.

Create a Communication Plan and post it in a prominent location within your course and syllabus. A Communication Plan should include:

  • Your preferred method of communication while courses are online
  • How soon students should expect for you to return their communication
  • Turnaround time for feedback on assignments

Tools for Communicating:

3.  Make Course Materials Available

Consider how you disseminate your remaining course materials.

Articles, websites, and electronic resources are a great way for students to learn. Can you find equivalent materials online?

Have you checked with our UD Library to see what they have available electronically? Contact the UD Library at circulation@udallas.edu to see how they can help with material and student activities that may require research assistance.

Use Brightspace to upload PDFs, PowerPoint presentations, Instructor notes, and more for secure, easy to access information.

4.  Make Lectures Available

Pre-Recorded or Synchronous lectures can ensure learners receive teaching directly from the source.

Screencast-O-Matic is a great tool to record your lectures and post them to your Brightspace course using YouTube.

Virtual Classroom through Brightspace can allow you to have synchronous lectures with your students attending virtually. This will allow you the opportunity to interact with your students and record the lecture for students to review again in the future.

Consider the following when hosting online lectures:

  • Open the class 10 minutes prior to the start time.
  • Have a screen message of welcome
  • Look at the camera and not the screen as you talk to people
  • Greet people as they enter the class
  • Check to make sure everyone can find their user toggle and indicate with a thumbs-up
  • Offer positive affirmation for students using the technology
  • Don't worry about making mistakes or not knowing how to do something--just work it out with the students. It makes them feel like it's ok for them not to know the technology completely
  • Check to make sure everyone can find their chat box and send a quick message
  • Explain how many people can be on video at a time in Virtual Classroom
  • Explain how to mute one's microphone
  • Explain how to ask a question by raising one's hand in the user status
  • Chunk the material in 10 minute segments
  • In between chunks, check to make sure everyone is ok (and still there!) by asking them to respond to a question in chat, or change their status in their user
  • When closing the class, make sure to thank everyone, greet them by name, and indicate when the next meeting will be

5.  Assignments & Assessments

What remaining assignments and assessments will students need to complete?

Students can continue to turn in work for grading through the Brightspace system. Math problems, research papers, and even recorded video can be used to compensate for in-class activities.

Learn more about Assignments in Brightspace

Continue to have Class Discussions in Brightspace as well

Brightspace also offers a robust option for quizzes and exams

6.  Support

There are many resources available to support you. Contact areas are outlined here