As you know more about how your course plans will be adjusted, reach back out to students with those details. They will have many questions, so consider how you want to manage that.

1. 1. What key changes about the class can I share at this time?
   2. How can they contact me (email, online office hours, phone (forwarding instructions), etc.)
   3. How soon can they expect a reply from me?

Even if you don’t have a plan in place yet, communicate with your students as soon as possible, informing them that changes are coming and what your expectations are for checking email and using Google or Moodle (LBCC’s learning management system), so you can get them more details soon. For spring term, include emergency planning information in your syllabus.

Three ways to send messages through Moodle

If your students are having trouble with Moodle, gMail, Google Docs, or other instructional software, please direct your students to the Student Help Desk at 541-917-4630 or student.helpdesk@linnbenton.edu.

Build in some flexibility, just in case the situation takes longer to resolve than you think.  Below are some questions you can ask yourself in preparation for an unexpected college shutdown.

1. What are my goals during this time?
   1. What learning outcomes can I realistically accomplish during this time period?
   2. Can I maintain the original syllabus and schedule?
   3. Do I hope students will keep up with the reading with some assignments to add structure and accountability, or do I just want to keep them engaged with the course content somehow?
2. What are the new priorities and schedule?
   1. Will I continue providing lectures?
   2. Should I structure new opportunities for discussion or group work?
   3. Will I collect assignments?
   4. What activities are better rescheduled?
   5. What can or must be done online?
3. Which of my policies and expectations must temporarily change?
   1. Will my students be able to meet expectations for participation, communication, and deadlines? 
   2. What if they are dealing with illness, lacking power or internet connections, or needing to care for family members?
   3. How will I handle requests for extensions or accommodations equitably?
4. What new tools or approaches are needed?
   1. What tools and workflows are already familiar to me and my students?
   2. Is it absolutely necessary to roll out a new tool or approach?
   3. When mental and emotional energies are already taxed, little energy and attention will remain for learning new things.

As you know more about how your course plans will be adjusted, reach back out to students with those details. They will have many questions, so consider how you want to manage that.

1. 1. What key changes about the class can I share at this time?
   2. How can they contact me (email, online office hours, phone (forwarding instructions), etc.)
   3. How soon can they expect a reply from me?

Consider relevant statements you may want to include in your syllabi and review with students each term, such as:

1. Reserving your right to modify a syllabus when necessary and guaranteeing communication to the class in writing about any such changes when they occur.
2. Inclement weather, emergency preparedness or campus closure information.
3. Your expectations and procedures should classes be cancelled.
4. Consider introducing remote learning tools and practices early each term.

Moodle course shells are automatically created for every credit course.  Each Moodle shell has the instructor of record and all registered and waitlisted students automatically enrolled into that course shell. 

Your virtual classroom is ready and waiting for you to add content, assignments, quizzes, and allow your students to view their grades in a safe and secure place. Many faculty are willing to share their course shells so that you don't need to develop all of the content and activities on your own. Chat with you department colleagues about sharing, and then the Moodle team can facilitate the process. 

Moodle - Starting from Scratch

Already Using Moodle?  Here's an Expanded Use of Moodle for Teaching Continuity.

For detailed information on the many Moodle tools available to you, please visit the Moodle Faculty Resources page. Also check out these Moodle Guides.

Google Docs is the college-supported, cloud-based document storage tool for sharing and collaborating.  We recommend posting Google Docs links in your Moodle course. Students will not need to use proprietary software or a viewer and will not need to download and manage files. Updates to the document are easy too because the link in your Moodle course always points to the same document; there is no need to continuously upload new files to the LMS.

Zoom offers an alternative for synchronous delivery. While Zoom is a free resource for anyone with mobile devices or computer access, please note that the level of participation available to your students may vary. We recommend reviewing your planned activities and considering how they will work for students with potentially limited access (i.e. no available microphone). LBCC's Guide to Getting Started with Zoom

Zoom support page

Attend training and/or view recordings

• See “Teaching Remotely: Training Sessions Next Week” email from March 26 for descriptions, dates, times, and Zoom links
• Recording: Moodle: Starting from Scratch (3/30/2020)
• Recording: Moodle: Ready, Set, Go! (4/3/2020)
• Session Notes & Resources: Supporting Students Remotely (4/2/2020)
• See the Faculty Forum in Moodle to review Q&As from the Teaching Remotely Q&A session

Practice using technology

• Video resources for faculty  from the Classroom Support team. 
• How to Post a Video in Moodle help guide

Prep your first 1 to 3 weeks of the course

• Use the first section to provide instructor contact information, important course documents (e.g. syllabus and schedule), information about course technology, and student support links and resources. 
• Add content, low-stakes assignments, and opportunities for interaction (see “creating your course” in the Moodle Help Guides). Check out this list of free course materials.  (includes OERs and LBCC library resources). 

Hide all but the first 1 or 2 weeks/topics of your course (Hide/Unhide Moodle Guide)

Make your course available to students (Course Availability Moodle Guide)

Send an email to your students and share your syllabus (tips and suggestions here, 3 ways to communicate through Moodle). 

• Address the adjusted term schedule and remote delivery due to COVID-19
• Provide your contact information, including a Zoom link for office hours
• Highlight how and where you will share content (e.g. recorded videos, documents, links in Moodle) and accept assignments (e.g. Moodle, Google Docs)
• Provide resources for students to get started. Recommend that students complete the Moodle Student Practice Course (all students are enrolled in it) and test Zoom. Provide students with the guide Getting Started With Remote Learning

Make your course available to students (Course Availability Moodle Guide)

Welcome Students (tips and suggestions here, 3 ways to communicate through Moodle). 

• Be honest about challenges of the term and adjustments to remote teaching and learning
• Make your expectations clear - include contact preferences and availability, email and grading turnaround time, frequency of student logins and participation, etc. 
• If this is your first email to students, see the communication notes in Week 0 as a starting point. 

Provide students with support resources

• Session Notes & Resources: Supporting Students Remotely
• Getting Started With Remote Learning

Give students opportunities to practice with course technology

• Moodle Student Practice Course (all students are enrolled in it)
• Test Zoom

Use only low-stakes assignments and be flexible with due dates

• Examples: introductory forum, get-to-know-you assignment, syllabus quiz
• Use these low-stakes or ungraded assignments as another means for students to learn the technology

Take attendance. This could be in the form of a forum post or other short assignment. Remember that waitlisted students will be included in your Moodle shell for the first week. 

Provide reminders and check in with students often. 

• Think about all the things that you might remind students of at the beginning or end of a face-to-face class. That information still needs to be communicated! Send frequent messages about assignments and reiterate expectations for the course.  
• If a student isn't participating, reach out by email and/or phone. 

Ask questions and seek help! eLearning, library, CFAR, Learning Center, Classroom Support, and many other areas have spent the last few weeks preparing to support students and faculty. We're all here for you! 

Coming Soon