Continuity Planning for Instruction

All members of the campus community share the responsibility for emergency preparedness. Planning for continuity of instruction is core to our mission and vision. The steps outlined below provide a framework for faculty and staff instructors to prepare their courses for emergencies and unexpected closures. They are not meant to be prescriptive but to be used as a guide to help ensure that students can complete their academic work on time despite any event or circumstance that may disrupt operations.

Update your syllabus and create a weekly planner to help determine the set of tools or resources you might need each week. Below is a suggested template:

Additional Tips: Upload weekly course materials into Canvas Modules. Include presentations, relevant documents, assignments/discussions and in the weekly modules as well. 

Course: Spring2020.AU101.1

Based on Step 1, assess what support you need to perform tasks on any of the technology tools to teach online. Below are many ways to get the support or training you need to teach online:

• View the Instructor Toolkit for useful tools and tips

• Schedule a One-on-One (Online Session through Zoom)

• Attend ONLINE Workshops offered many times each week. Sign up here to receive the Zoom online meeting link.

• Attend the newly added Preparing your Courses for Emergencies Workshop (available online, sign up here)

• Tips and Resources for using Technology to Connect with Your Students 

• Arcadia faculty and staff have access to Canvas and Zoom support 24/7

• Check out our resources page for more information 

Sometimes, technology doesn’t work as expected or it may not work for some students when it works just fine for others. From reliable internet service at their location to their computer speed, the issue could be the application service itself. If everyone in the class is affected, you’ll have to shift to an alternate plan. If some of the students are experiencing problems, but the majority are fine, limit the time you spend troubleshooting to a few minutes at the beginning and remind all that you are recording the class. 

Students are encouraged to contact the Help Desk to assist with general troubleshooting.  Setting expectations around flexibility and communication help tremendously in an online setting. For additional assistance, contact Canvas, Zoom, & Panopto support.  

To help your students become familiar with Canvas, consider adding this link to helpful resources directly in your course reference materials.

Technology is ever-changing. Functionality within applications and user interfaces undergo regular updates. Scheduling a periodic review of your course design, assessment of technology integration, and testing of related documentation can enhance instructor and student experience.

Instructor Toolkit has a number of useful tips and links organized in one easy to access page.