Cambrian College Virtual Teaching and Learning Guide
Based on our current plan of Virtual teaching for fall 2020 theory courses, the following guide provides recommendations.
Learning Continuity Planner (for Faculty)
Ideas, suggestions, and how-to videos to help you continue or begin virtual teaching.
Hub Team Support
Book a support appointment with any of the Hub Team Members. Feel free to ask any questions at all – we can partner with you to explore course design and technology issues. We are available via email or at teaching@cambriancollege.ca (monitored Mon-Fri 8:30am-4:30pm – after hours by appointment)
Virtual Learning Guide (for Students)
The purpose of the Virtual Learning Guide for Students is to provide students with a preliminary list of the types of technology they can expect as part of moving learning from in-person to virtual (online and email options). If students have limited access, or no access to computers and regular Internet, they are encouraged to let their professor know immediately to discuss possible options. Professors may wish to refer students to their Program Coordinator or Student Success Advisor for additional information.
Information for Faculty:
It is important to make teaching decisions based on accurate information. The College will provide current information about our response to the COVID-19 on the newly created COVID-19 communication page. Talk with your Chair or Dean about teaching and learning expectations within your program and courses.
In order to teach from the college to virtual students, or to teach off campus, you will need a computer and reliable internet access. If you do not have access to a computer at home, email HelpDesk@Cambriancollege.ca to inquire about a laptop loan if they have one.
Gather all the materials you will need for teaching, including printed resources and technology to take home if you cannot be on campus. Ensure you upload all the digital files you will need for teaching to your OneDrive in case you cannot access your computer desktop files or networked Cambrian files. Continued access to OneDrive (Learn more about OneDrive on the Hub Studio Page), myCambrian, and Moodle will be maintained whether on campus or at home.
Your students will be concerned about how virtual teaching will affect their learning and grades. Communicate with them early to let them know that you are working on adapting your course to create the best possible experience for them, and that you will keep them updated as the semester unfolds.
The Hub team will be updating the teachingcambriancollege.mydev.ca webpage on a regular basis to provide you with helpful resources. Please bookmark it and check in.
Teaching a course virtually often requires some new skills and practice with new technology. If you traditionally teach a course through lecture for three hours per week, you may need to make some adjustments for a Moodle and Zoom environment:
- Which portions of your course can be taught by sharing content with your students?
- Which portions can be pre-recorded as video presentations to share?
- Which portions need to be conducted in live webconference mode?
- How will you need to shift your assessment strategies in a virtual context?
Core Basics of Virtual Teaching
Communication
- Establish a communication channel with your students – Moodle Announcements, email, Zoom, phone, etc.
- Invite students to let you know if they have problems accessing technology and encourage them to connect with your Program Coordinator and Student Success Advisor
- Let students know your plan for teaching, sharing content, and conducting assessments virtually
- Encourage them to message each other through Moodle to form study groups and support each other
Content
- Focus on content and assessments that support core learning outcomes
- If you’re using a textbook, remind students which sections to read and practice
- Use Moodle Announcements or email to share new content (PPTs, readings, practice problems, links to relevant and accurate videos or other supplemental resources)
- Confirm the most important items for each week
Activities, Practice, Assessment
- If you can, add formative (ungraded) practice options in Moodle
- Consider reflection questions for each content type that reinforce the key points
- Build digital assessments using Moodle tools
- If students are submitting files to you that you will be evaluating, consider using the Moodle Assignment activity to ensure you and your students retain an accurate record of what was submitted and for ease of grading
It may be necessary at some point for students to scan assignments and send them by email using their mobile phone. Adobe (a very trusted name in software), has a free App (for Android or iOS) called Adobe Scan:
- For Android: Adobe Scan for Android
- For Apple: Adobe Scan for iOS
If you have questions about students in your courses that have accommodations through Clockwork, please connect with Glenn Crombie Centre staff.
- Will a shift to a remote format require adjustments to the timing of topics or assessment activities?
- If some assessment activities are difficult to translate effectively into online assessments, will you need to adjust your assessment strategy?
- Will you need to drop some items from the syllabus?
- How will you ensure students are learning the core parts of the course?
Review, revise, and share your syllabus with students.
A multi-staged approach may be helpful. You can start by uploading your content into your Moodle course shell. Once students have access to the content, think about which parts of the course need new alternate material. For example, you might develop short videos to explain key concepts that you would normally present during class.
Confirm your contact information and describe to students how you will be communicating with them:
- Will you use Moodle Announcements?
- Email?
- A combination?
- Will you be available for office hours using the Zoom Web Conferencing Solution?
- What are your expectations for them to communicate with you?
- Will you be available by phone?
Let them know what to expect.
- Library staff will be available to support students through chat. You can add this information to your Moodle course shell.
- Library Quick Help Guide (library resources, copyright, online content)
Students can arrange staff tutoring in English, Math, and Science topics where tutors connect through Zoom. Students may also be able to arrange Peer Tutoring sessions using Zoom; this may depend on whether or not campus is fully open.
For theory courses that would traditionally be taught in-person, the recommended practice for fall virtual teaching and learning is a blended approach – a mix of live Zoom teaching (recommended live session for 1 hour each week in a 3-credit course) with 2 hours of content work in your Moodle shell (where students can work asynchronously). You will not know for certain the level of access that students have to devices and broadband Internet. A recommended practice is to check in with all students at the start of semester to learn more about their access.
If you are not in one of our virtual classrooms and need to support students who may need to connect to your class remotely, consider bringing in your laptop to class and using the camera on your laptop to connect with them using Zoom. For some students, this will provide them with a much needed connection into the classroom while they need to be away.
For asynchronous content, you could record yourself and post videos. Ensure that you upload the files to Moodle for student access.
Moodle Basics
- Showing and Hiding Moodle Materials for Students
- Sending Announcements in Moodle
- Adding a File in Moodle
- Adding a Quiz in Moodle
- Adding an Assignment to Moodle
- Group Assignments in Moodle
- Moodle Labels: Adding Images and Text
- Moodle Labels: Recording, Editing, and Adding Audio
- Creating and facilitating Moodle Forum discussions
- Creating and facilitating Moodle Chats
- Using the Moodle URL Resource
- Creating and Using a Moodle Rubric
- How to Create H5P Activities
- How to Share an H5P Activity with a Colleague
Using Zoom
- Sign in to Zoom
- Getting started with Zoom (For Cambrian College Faculty and Staff: How-To Video)
- Cambrian College Zoom FAQ Document for Faculty and Staff
- Cambrian College Zoom FAQ Document for Students
- For Cambrian College Department and Program Teams – Zoom IM Chat for Teams
- Getting started with Zoom (Zoom Online Tutorial Website)
- Zoom Support (Zoom Online Tutorial Website)
- Learn More About Zoom (Hub Studio Page)
Advice for Virtual Teaching and Learning
- Designing a Clear and Consistent Learning Path with Icons and Headings
- Communicating Module Goals, Objectives, & Intended Outcomes
- Leveraging Checklists to Help Students Stay Organized
- Helping Your Asynchronous Online Students Manage Their Time
- Adding Audio Narration to a PowerPoint
- Using Audio in Tech-Enabled Teaching (pt.1)
- Using Audacity to Create Audio (pt. 2)
- Developing and Curating Accessible Assignments
- Getting Started with Microsoft OneDrive (Cloud File Management)
Individual Support and Trouble-shooting
- Chris Schubert and Rob Comtois for Moodle, eGrades, and Zoom
- Jeff Tranchemontagne for video and media creation support
- Mel Young for teaching and assessment advice
- Sarah Wendorf, Alison Frauts, and Krista Ceccolini for Instructional Design advice (setting up Moodle content and activities effectively)
- Brian Levac for Graphic Design support
If you’re not certain who you need to contact please email teaching@cambriancollege.ca describe your challenge, and your request will be assigned
Computer issues, VPN, Virtual scheduling
Information Technology support (IT Helpdesk): helpdesk@cambriancollege.ca or by phone (705) 566-8101 x7370
The Cambrian College Virtual Teaching and Learning Guide has been adapted from University of Calgary’s Teaching Continuity webpages