Remote Synchronous Teaching Demonstration Videos
During remote synchronous instruction, an entire class participates at the same time but from different locations. Advantages of this technique include the ability to instantly interact with others. This type of instruction is best for faculty and students who prefer direct connections and benefit from the social motivator of being prepared for a particular class time.
Lecture
Presentation-style lectures continue as normal.
Considerations
- Refer to university guidance on requiring webcams.
- Employ polls, chat, and self-check questions to determine students’ understanding of the lecture. (Note: You will not have a visual of student expressions and body language to gauge understanding.)
- Record lectures and make them available for students who miss class.
- Collect information on whether students are connecting from different time zones, and provide exceptions for those far outside Eastern time zone to participate asynchronously.
In-class Activities
In-class activities, completed individually or in small groups, continue to engage students.
Considerations
- Facilitate discussions through Zoom breakout rooms for in-class group discussions. Instructor and TA/LAs circulate among rooms to check progress and ask questions to promote deeper thinking.
- Use screen sharing for hands-on components (e.g., labs, programming).
- Use Zoom annotation and whiteboard tools to facilitate hands-on activities and discussions.
Assessments
Since students cannot be monitored while they are completing assessments, strategies should be employed to mitigate threats to academic integrity.
Considerations
- Consider multiple low-stakes quizzes/exams that can be done online or different assignment types that can also evaluate students meeting learning objectives.
- Assign students to submit pre-recorded videos of their individual assignments (e.g., talking through their coding assignment) to be assured of academic integrity.
Group Work
Group work brings students together to meet various learning objectives during class or outside of class.
Considerations
- Facilitate student group formation, collaboration, and team-building with assignments and technical tools (such as Canvas, Microsoft Teams, Box, CATME, Google docs, etc.).
Attendance
Participation in class activities supports overall success in the class.
Considerations
- If requiring attendance, the attendance policy may require some nuance to provide flexibility for those who experience COVID-19-related absences.
- Consider using online discussion forums, rather than daily attendance, to monitor participation.
