Earlier this summer, at the suggestion of Aaron Brower and Ryan Anderson of the University of Wisconsin Extended Campus, UPCEA led the crowdsourcing of resources to support higher quality remote teaching for the 2020-2021 academic year. The project was bold, audacious, and one that proved to be challenging for a host of reasons, mainly due to the limited time everyone had this summer to think about anything other than fall preparations and institutional responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As always, UPCEA members pitched in, shared resources, and gave us a great opportunity to highlight some of the resources they rely on in the design and delivery of online instruction. Our goal was to create a pool of web-based resources that instructional design teams and online leaders could leverage as they work with instructors (faculty, adjunct instructors, grad students, etc.)and/or instructors can use when working independently. We hoped these resources would encourage:
- The review of previous online materials/experiences (faculty reflection work)
- The planning of online instruction (course mapping/blueprints, course alignment, etc.)
- The design of online/remote instruction (lecturing, engagement, accessibility, etc.)
We received resources that addressed specific faculty-focused topics:
Cognitive Psychology and Pedagogy
- Making it Stick: Techniques to Improve Student Learning (webinar recording) - Johns Hopkins University
- The Power of Social Presence for Learning, an article by Aimee Whiteside, Amy Dikkers, and Somer Lewis submitted by University of Wisconsin Extended Campus
- Trauma-Informed Pedagogy - slides from a presentation submitted by Karen Kosta
(Note: there’s also a podcast available on this topic)
Planning for Online Teaching
- A Resource Guide for Transitioning Your Class Online appearing in Faculty Focus and submitted by the University of Wisconsin Extended Campus
- Introduction to Quality Online Learning - University of Wisconsin Extended Campus
- Developing a Course Outline - University of Wisconsin Extended Campus
- Writing Objectives and Competencies - University of Wisconsin Extended Campus
- Aligning Goals and Assessments - University of Wisconsin Extended Campus
- Planning for Learning Experiences - University of Wisconsin Extended Campus
- Bloom’s Taxonomy Verbs Chart (measurable) - The Citadel
- Curriculum Mapping Guide - The CItadel
- Podcast - Online Teaching Survival Guide: A 7-Part Audio Series by Fred Opie at Harvard University submitted by the University of Wisconsin Extended Campus
Lecturing/Teaching/Learner Strategies
- Effective Online Lectures (a Checklist for Instructors) - Mississippi State University
- Delivering Effective Asynchronous Lectures - University of Pennsylvania Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy
- 10 Principles of Effective Online Teaching appearing in Faculty Focus and submitted by the University of Wisconsin Extended Campus
- Time Management Strategies for Teaching Online - Northwestern University
- Why and When to Use Powerpoint in Online Courses - Northwestern University
- 5 Ways to Group Adult Students for Teamwork Online - Northwestern University
- Assignment Scaffolding - Northwestern University
- Strategies for Learning in Online and Remote Courses - University of Pennsylvania Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy
- Some Case Study Resources:
- 22 Cases and Articles to Help Bring Diversity Issues into Class Discussions from Harvard Business Publishing submitted by the University of Wisconsin Extended Campus
- Teaching Students to Write a Case Study by James M. Lang submitted by the University of Wisconsin Extended Campus
- 5 Tips to Write A Case Study Paper by Linda Grandes submitted by the University of Wisconsin Extended Campus
Academic Integrity/Compliance
- Academic Integrity (Methods to Maintain Academic Integrity without Proctoring) - Mississippi State
- Keep Complying: Launching New Online Courses Amid the Coronavirus - University of Michigan
Accessibility
- Guidelines for Hosting Accessible Virtual Meetings - University of Waterloo
- A TEDx Boulder Video on Why We Need Universal Design by Michael Nesmith (10:29) submitted by the University of Wisconsin Extended Campus
Engagement/Interactions/Evaluation
- Faculty-managed Online Learning Communication Plans - University of Pennsylvania Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy
- Synchronous and Asynchronous Interactions - University of Pennsylvania Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy
- Faculty Interaction - University of Wisconsin Extended Campus
- Research Says - Good Feedback Is Targeted, Specific, Timely, an article by Bryan Goodwin and Kirsten Miller submitted by University of Wisconsin Extended Campus
- Tools and Strategies for Engaging Online Students appearing in Faculty Focus and submitted by the University of Wisconsin Extended Campus
- Engaging Online Students with Synchronous and Asynchronous Learning Tools appearing in Faculty Focus and submitted by the University of Wisconsin Extended Campus
- Discussions
- Facilitating Online Discussions, a website by the MGH Institute of Health Professions submitted by the University of Wisconsin Extended Campus
- Discussions in Online Courses - University of Wisconsin Extended Campus
- Online Discussion Rubric - University of Wisconsin Stout
- Course feedback from students
- Mid-Course Surveys: Asking Students How Your Course is Working - University of Wisconsin Extended Campus
- A video about Mid-Semester Teaching Evaluations by Michelle Samuel (3:13) submitted by the University of Wisconsin Extended Campus
Assessment/Assignments
- Structuring Online Assignments - University of Pennsylvania Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy
- An OER Commons Workbook on Assessment in Practice authored by David Jennings submitted by the University of Wisconsin Extended Campus
- Four Ways to Replace the Written, Proctored, Synchronous Final Exam - University of Waterloo
Video/Content Production
- Filming Videos at Home - University of Pennsylvania Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy
- Video Conference Tips for Success - Washington State University
- Creating Narrated Powerpoint Presentations
- Screen Recording - University of Waterloo
We also received resources that were designed as comprehensive resources addressing all aspects of online teaching:
- A group of UPCEA members formed Action, Solutions, Growth University Partners (ASG). This group made up of the University of Wisconsin Extended Campus, University of California Irvine Extension, and The University of Washington shared a ‘Best in Show’ Website where faculty can move through the phases of course development and access videos and tip sheets.
- Auburn University shared their Remote Instruction Resilience website featuring faculty testimonials and how-to’s.
- The Citadel shared their Teaching & Learning Resources website
- The Great Plains Idea is an interactive distance education alliance made up of 20 institutions (most of which are UPCEA members). They shared their website, Principles of Effective Online Teaching.
- Northwestern University School of Professional Studies shared their remote teaching website as well as their ‘How Do I’ website.
- Pennsylvania State University created a Flexible Instruction Teaching Guide in Articulate which walks faculty through various aspects of instruction for the fall term including online teaching, PPE and classroom layouts, and faculty support.
- The University of Washington shared their Learning Innovations website.
- The University of Waterloo shared a website that has many how-tos on common activities for faculty
A few institutions provided their faculty development programs for online teaching. These sites take faculty through the entire process of developing an online course and feature great resources!
- Oregon State University shared their Canvas course focused on designing and teaching effective remote/blended courses which includes three modules (principles for remote and blended teaching, design your course, plan your content and facilitation) as well as an optional module on ‘getting started with Canvas’.
- The University of Alaska shared their Owner’s Manual, a UAF-specific guide to creating an online course.
- The University of North Carolina Greensboro shared their website that encourages faculty to plan, develop, teach and evaluate which features videos as well as practical tips for faculty. Faculty can step through the website and take assessments to check their learning.
- The University of Waterloo shared their 5-unit learning experience, Fostering Engagement: Facilitating Online Courses in Higher Education.
We hope you find these resources useful and shareable with your faculty. In closing, we would like to thank the following organizations and individuals that made this work possible:
Thank you to the organizations that submitted resources:
Auburn University
The Citadel
Great Plains IDEA
Manchester Community College
Mississippi State University
Northwestern School of Professional Studies
O'Donnell Learn
Oregon State University
Pennsylvania State University
University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Michigan
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of North Carolina Greensboro
University of Pennsylvania, Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy
University of Washington
University of Waterloo
University of Wisconsin Extended Campus
University of Wisconsin-Stout
And thank you to the UPCEA members that participated in the project:
Ryan Anderson, University of Wisconsin Extended Campus
Dan Arnold, Oakland University
Camille Funk, University of California Irvine
John Hollenbeck, University of Wisconsin Extended Campus
Linda Kingston, Lake Superior College
Christie Kittle, Washington State University
Reba-Anna Lee, Northwestern University
Justin Louder, Texas Tech University
Olysha Magruder, Johns Hopkins University
Matt McKenzie, Southern Utah University
Nancy Salzman, Brandman University
Jennifer J Schwedler, University of California Davis
Ann Hamilton Taylor, Pennsylvania State University
Patrick Wirth, University of Wisconsin Extended Campus
Updated September 16, 2020