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Review

To change from a face-to-face class to a virtual learning environment, you should do the following:

  1. Review your course activities and resources
  2. Identify which activities and resources you'd like to keep as is
  3. Identify which activities and resources you will need to change for the virtual learning environment

Your course learning outcomes are key to determine what you need to prioritize in your course. For those activities/resources you will change, you should consider how they will be presented in an virtual learning environment.

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titleWhat are the Course Learning Outcomes for your course?

What are the Course Learning Outcomes for your course?

How do students typically learn during your in-class meetings? What are your desired outcomes for each class session? What are successful students able to measurably do after a given session?

  • Do you typically provide content, explanations, or clarifications through lectures?
  • Do students engage content through large or small group discussion?
  • Do students learn from each other through student presentations?
  • Do students spend class time practicing skills or hands-on exploration?

Once you know what student learning experiences you need to teach remotely, decide whether synchronous or asynchronous options suit your needs.

Transform

Once you know what student learning experiences you need to teach remotely, decide whether synchronous (real-time or live) or asynchronous options suit your needs. Below is an explanation of the pros and cons of synchronous or asynchronous activities. Step 3: Strategies is full of strategies for how to accomplish these tasks. Also, feel free to contact Mark Henderson and the Online Learning Office for assistance in thinking through how your unique course outcomes can be met in a virtual environment.

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titleWhat are the pros and cons of synchronous (real-time or live) and asynchronous learning?

Synchronous vs. Asynchronous?

There are two options for instructors to facilitate class sessions remotely: 

  1. Synchronous: instructors and students gather at the same time and interact in “real time” with a very short or “near-real time” exchange between instructors and students.
  2. Asynchronous: instructors prepare course materials for students in advance of students’ access. Students may access the course materials at a time of their choosing and will interact with each over a longer period of time.

Instructors may choose to engage their students synchronously or asynchronously depending on the course content or material that needs to be taught. There are many advantages and disadvantages to asynchronous and synchronous teaching options. 

Advantages of Synchronous Teaching

  1. Immediate personal engagement between students and instructors, which may create greater feelings of community and lessen feelings of isolation
  2. More responsive exchanges between students and instructors, which may prevent miscommunication or misunderstanding

Disadvantages of Synchronous Teaching

  1. More challenging to schedule shared times for all students and instructors
  2. Some students may face technical challenges or difficulties if they do not have fast or powerful Wi-Fi networks accessible 
  3. Some students may face accessibility issues without live captioning or other accommodations for live content.

Advantages of Asynchronous Teaching

  1. Higher levels of temporal flexibility, which may simultaneously make the learning experiences more accessible to different students and also make an archive of past materials accessible.  
  2. Increased cognitive engagement since students will have more time to engage with and explore the course material. 
  3. Increased ability to provide accessibility accommodations such as captions or alternative descriptions of images.

Disadvantages of Asynchronous Teaching

  1. Students may feel less satisfied without the social interaction between their peers and instructors. 
  2. Course material may be misunderstood or have the potential to be misconstrued without the real-time interaction.

Source: Stanford University, "Teaching Effectively During Times of Disruption, for SIS and PWR," CC-BY-NC-SA

Now that you have thought through whether you need synchronous (real-time or live) or asynchronous options, go to Step 3: Strategies to work on what needs to be put on your Moodle course site. Our Resources Page gives a list of articles that may be helpful as well as an overview of our technology tools. 

Communicate

Remember to communicate early and often with your students. They are looking to you to provide clarity and direction for how your course will be taught remotely. A key way that you can do this is through direct communication via Moodle Quickmail or email.

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titleHow should I notify my students of course changes?

Once you have moved your content to your Moodle course shell, please notify your students of the changes.

You can use either Moodle Quickmail or your UNW Outlook email for communicating with your students. Moodle Quickmail will allow you to easily send a message to the email accounts of all of your students at once. Moodle Quickmail will have your Moodle course enrollment easily accessible.

You may use the Announcements forum on your Moodle course site in addition to Quickmail or email, but be aware that students may have Moodle notifications turned off and may not receive an email notification of your announcement.

Who Should I Contact for Help?

For questions or assistance, please contact the following:

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