Online Classes at Biola
What is "Online"?
At Biola, we use the term "online class" to refer to classes which are designed to be fully online. These classes use an asynchronous model where students interact with the class material and assignments on their own time, while keeping up with a weekly schedule.
A "hybrid class" uses a mix of in-person class meetings plus an online component. Some schools use the term "flipped classroom" to describe how the instructor delivers some of the lecture material online while facilitating student interaction in-person in a classroom.
Teaching via "remote delivery" refers to in-person classes which were moved online due to the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic. Some classes maintained the same schedule and were conducted through live video conferences. Other classes switched to an asynchronous model using pre-recorded course material.
Process for Creating a New Online Class
In general, each academic department will decide which classes will be taught online, and will work in with Biola's Office of Digital Learning and Program Development to determine a timeline for the course design, implementation, and launch. Creating a new online class involves these steps:
- A teacher (the "Course Author") works with and Instructional Designer to plan the course content, assignments, and discussions
- The teacher records the course lectures in a studio
- The Video Production team edits the videos
- The teacher and Instructional Designer finalize the course design
If you are a teacher and are interested in putting your class online, please talk to your Department Chair.
Before teachers are approved to design a new online class or to teach an existing online class, they are required to attend training offered by the Office of Digital Learning, which is offered online or through in-person training sessions. See Training Schedule for details.
The "Introduction to Online Teaching at Biola" shown below does not replace this training, but would be a good starting point for anyone considering teaching online.
Video Series: Introduction to Online Teaching at Biola
The following series of videos provides a quick overview of how online classes work at Biola, as well as an introduction to some of the basic features of Canvas which will be useful for any teachers using Canvas, including those teaching in-person classes.
This series comprises eight videos totaling about 30 minutes in length (29:11 total). Each page has the video and a transcript.
Introduction to Canvas (length = 4:09)
Describes what Canvas is, and introduces some of the basic structure of classes, content, and rosters.
Online Template (length = 4:40)
Gives a quick overview of the standard template used for online classes at Biola, including the Getting Started module, the weekly modules, and discussions.
Account Settings (length = 3:21)
Shows how to set up your Canvas account settings, including your profile, profile picture, and notifications.
Finding Help (length = 1:57)
Shows you where to find help for Canvas: in the official documentation, on Biola's Resources pages, and through Google searches.
Using Groups for Discussions (length = 3:48)
Describes how to set up groups within a class, how to create group discussions, and Biola's suggestions for using group discussions.
Quizzes and Tests (length = 4:27)
Describes how to create online quizzes on Canvas, what options to use, and when to use them in an online class.
Academic Integrity Tools (length = 4:04)
Describes strategies and tools for ensuring academic integrity for online tests and papers. We use LockDown Browser, LockDown Monitor for tests and Turnitin for plagiarism detection.
Course Analytics (length = 2:45)
Shows how to use Course Analytics to view student progress through the course and to find students who may be falling behind.