There are multiple resources below for remote teaching that are regularly updated. In addition, there are related resources at the Bates Learning Assessment page “Teaching in a Pandemic” as well.

Resources for Remote (and in-person) Teaching & Learning

Bates Resources

Bates College ILS webpage on Remote Teaching & Learning has MANY resources and can be your go-to source for Lyceum and Zoom – Video and Web Conferencing and using YouTube to share videos. They also have some insights and resources for planning and ideas for approaching teaching students who are learning remotely as well as how to incorporate these tools into your in-person classroom.

Writing@Bates also has an amazing set of resources on remote teaching, from videos about writing assignments, syllabus design and “compressed-term” teaching to information about ARC remote support and materials from past workshops.

In addition, logistic and technical resources are available at the IT Helpdesk page.

External Resources

Google Docs can also be a valuable tool for interactive engagement with documents. Keep in mind that all people who share access to a document can change it at any time, even at the same time you are working on it! 

If you prefer an asynchronous (not simultaneous) method for exchanging revised documents, enabling the “Track Changes” option under “Review” in Microsoft Word can be valuable. See some tips from UMichigan on using these features, especially with thesis students.

The Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher Ed both have insightful articles. 

Group Work & Collaboration

There are some wonderful ways to collaborate and pull together the work of your students from near and afar, such as the Anthro Mini Lectures Project and the collective art tile shown on this page created separately by students at Crestwood School and compiled by their teachers.

Adaptation

You may not have to throw a whole idea out because of the remote context…try adaptations, such as verbal feedback via phone or chat instead of written comments on papers. These are also great time-savers in any type of assessment environment.

Managing Remoteness

This is not an easy time, for anyone. While we are back on campus, there are times students and faculty cannot attend class in-person. And we are still working through a pandemic. There are some good insights and tips to remind us that we are human and our capacity is not unlimited, so be compassionate (to others and yourself!). Here are some thoughts from the higher education world and beyond (maybe not quite as far away as the photo of Earth on this page, but it does give perspective!)…

Recover the Joy of Teaching – Chronicle of Higher Education – tips for remote teaching as well as reminding us of the stuff we’ve always loved about teaching

The Values We Hold are Paramount – Wheaton College – revisiting our core goals, especially as logistics and contexts change

The Balance Within – Esther Sternberg – avoiding burnout as an immune boosting strategy, from one of my favorite blogs, Brain Pickings

Abruptly Teaching Online – Inside Higher Ed – straightforward explanation of some basics, good starting and good reminder

Teaching Remotely – UMass Amherst – many technical, practical resources and links as well as examples

Coping with Coronavirus – Chronicle of Higher Education – collection of essays ranging from technical advice to emotional well-being

Stay Connected

Check in with your students in various ways, such as surveys, emails, chat sessions or even phone calls.

Maintain your own support networks: write letters to old friends, continue department meetings even if just to say hello, or have a conference call dinner party with colleagues (even if it ends up like this hilarious video).

Assessment in a Remote (& in-person) Teaching Environment

All kinds of assessment considerations and methods can be found in this comprehensive “Hitch-hiker’s Guide to Alternate Assessment” by Damien Gordon.

Online Exams & Quizzes

Some faculty have found success in adapting online exams to open-book with various strategies to enhance academic integrity. Online quizzes can also offer formative feedback and guide responsive curricula. Be familiar with various remote exam options while staying aware of the benefits and barriers of conducting online exams.

Grading

A key to any valuable grading system is to develop equitable practices for all students and learning environments. Rubrics can be loaded into Lyceum for quicker, smoother online and in-person grading (how to do this here).

Accessibility

It is critical for faculty to create content accessible to all students in their courses, including students with special learning needs or essential accommodations. Bates Office of Accessible Education and Student Support has many resources to help faculty.

Academic Integrity

A climate of transparency and integrity builds a strong foundation for honesty and preventing cheating. However, the use of virtual/remote assessments can highlight issues. Some suggested guidelines:

• Focus more on academic integrity and less on cheating.
• Students adhere to academic integrity when more frequent, lower stakes assessments (including formative assessments) are incorporated into a course.
• Remind students of relevant elements of Bates Code of Student Conduct just prior to assessed work.
• Build strong connections between your course goals or learning objectives and what you assess.
• Communicate clearly and be transparent about the specific, concrete expectations of work in its specific context. Is group work allowed? What materials or technologies may be used?

Reflection

Similar to connecting with students, asking for academic reflections or intellectual reflections offer an important way to develop relationships with students and reiterate learning goals of a course. Some quick ideas can be offered anonymously (or not) using the online platform Padlet.

Assessing student reflection is tricky. Consider the learning goal to determine if you will assess or just respond. Be transparent from the beginning for students so they know how to approach the reflection also.