Provide a Course Description

Students are isolated and do not have the same access to casual interactions they often use to get information about things like due dates, etc.

• Provide an accurate description of the course - For example, that it will be taught remotely, that you will meet at 10:00 am every day in the class Zoom meeting room, etc.

• State what your expectations are in terms of hours per week spent both meeting online and doing what would typically be done as homework.

• Tell students why you are using a specific delivery method. For example, if you plan to use synchronous zoom sessions, explain why.

Send a Welcome Email to your Students

• In remote teaching situations, a welcome email or message is usually sent several days before the course begins and contains “housekeeping” information that is often presented on the first day of a face to face course. Please review this sample welcome email.

Your Welcome email should include:

• A friendly, personal, greeting where you introduce yourself to your students

• A description of your teaching style/course delivery method

• Instructions on how to access the course on Blackboard.

• Invitation to introduce themselves in the ‘Personal Introductions’ discussion forum

• The name and ISBN number of required texts (if applicable)

• Instructions on how to complete any additional pre-course getting started items

• An invitation for the students to get in touch if they have questions (and the necessary information to do it)

• Directions on how to get support if they need help accessing Blackboard.

All course materials and information needed to succeed in the course should be available on the course Blackboard site.

• A clear syllabus that provides a weekly schedule, outlines milestones, and assessments etc, should be available to students as soon as the course starts on September 3, 2020.

• Include the content of the first few weeks to help students understand how your course will run.

• Add additional content as soon as possible, to avoid issues related to Internet connectivity or other technology failures

Get to know your students and build rapport while also building a community within the class. This includes introductory and ongoing activities. See the section on Getting to know your students and building community.

Let students know who to go to with technical questions: Share the Student Online Learning Success page with your students.