Quick Transition to Remote Instruction
The following resources are designed to provide support for instructors who need to quickly adapt their courses for fully remote instruction in emergency-response scenarios.
Teaching Strategies for Remote Instruction
Note: Synchronous activities involve students participating “live” during the same time that class normally is held — live lectures, discussions, interactive lessons. Asynchronous activities involve students who are expected to complete coursework independently/not live; e.g., pre-recorded lectures, online quizzes based on the reading, worksheets.
| Strategy | Synchronous Activities | Asynchronous Activities |
|---|---|---|
| Lectures | Instructor shares slides or camera in real-time while also recording for other students. | Recorded videos of instructor and/or visuals, students watch and take notes. |
| Group Projects | Students choose their own times to meet synchronously in small groups via Zoom, with or without instructor presence. | Students create discussion forums or other channels for asynchronous contributions. Instructor may provide input. |
| Polling | Students raise hands on camera or use “digital hands”; instructor opens a live poll with link and students can be placed in “break out” rooms for discussion. | Discussion boards or self-paced set of survey questions are available for a period of time. |
| Small Group Discussion | Students raise hands on camera or use “digital hands”; instructor opens a live poll with link and students can be placed in “break out” rooms for discussion. | Asynchronous: Discussion boards often with structured prompts and guidelines about how many posts and replies are required? |
| Whole Class Discussion | Discussions with voice, camera, chat and guidelines about how to enter into the discussion. | Discussion boards often with structured prompts and guidelines about how many posts and replies are required. |
| Writing/Drawing on Board | Instructor shares digital whiteboard and writes for students, in real time while also recording for other students. | Recorded videos of instructor writing/drawing on a digital whiteboard |
See the Remote Only Implementation Guide for practical tips and solutions.
Explore the Center for Faculty Excellence’s self-paced Essentials for Remote Teaching and Learning course.
General Best Practices for Emergency Remote Instruction
The following practices will help you and your students navigate this challenging time:
Stay up to date on the latest campus developments.
- Receive Notifications from AlertCarolina on your cell phone, LiveSafe app, or Twitter.
- Bookmark AlertCarolina to view current campus operating conditions and contact information for campus safety resources.
- Bookmark https://itsstatus.unc.edu/ to view status of campus IT systems.
Communicate often and share resources.
- Update students as you make (or plan to make) any revisions to your course.
- Share with students how to keep in contact with you (e.g., email, online office hours, phone) and when you are available to support them.
- Expect that more frequent communication—via a variety of channels—may be required compared to on-campus class sessions.
Identify which course adjustments must be made immediately.
- Delay due dates of assignments for those in which you have the flexibility to do so.
- Prioritize readings and learning activities that are central to the course.
- Where possible, offer multiple options for students to express what they’ve learned related to course learning objectives.
- Outline how these changes impact elements of the course and remaining assignments.
Help students navigate changes to your course.
- Share how to access campus and library resources when students are off-campus.
- Introduce any tools that are new to your course by offering students opportunities to practice using them.
- Invite help from students who can assist peers in learning to use the tools.
- Remind students of revised deadlines and grading criteria to help them remain oriented to the flow of the course.
Anticipate that your teaching and your students’ experiences will be different.
- Adjust your expectations for student participation and communication, considering that they may lack reliable internet access, or may need to address personal or family concerns.
- Be ready to handle requests for extensions and adjustments to coursework equitably.
COVID-19 and Students Needing Accommodations:
- Some students with disabilities or medical conditions may encounter challenges that may not have been apparent in in-person classes. Students making these known to you should be encouraged to self-identify with Accessibility Resources and Service as soon as possible.
- Work with ARS to find appropriate accommodations for these circumstances.