How to Get Started Before the Quarter

1. Decide how you want to create your blended learning experience (a mixture of both synchronous and asynchronous modes of learning).

   • Check our Other Resources and Guides to see what other campus offices and departments are learning (regularly updated).

   • Refer to the Technology Support page for more information on Best Practices for Asynchronous and Synchronous modes of learning once you decide.

   • Understand the platforms available to you. Descriptions of various options can be found on the Technology Support page.

   • Read about other teaching strategies that have been compiled by the Center for the Advancement of Teaching.

   • You may also enroll in an online module created by our campus LMS team for Canvas to help you get familiarized with the online teaching system.
     

2. Understand your syllabus will undergo numerous revisions throughout the quarter. To avoid confusion for students, upload an editable version (edits that can only be made by you) of the syllabus onto a Google Doc, CCLE, a class Facebook Page, etc.

   • Emailing several versions of the syllabus causes confusion for students. Give them a link to an online syllabus page that you will work off of throughout the quarter. Example can be found on the Tutorials on Remote Instruction page.
     

3. Establish a human connection with your students before the start of classes. Suggestions include:

   • Sending a welcome survey to your students, asking how they are doing, inquiring about what they hope to get out of the class, and creating a space to voice concerns before the quarter starts.

   • Send a checklist, a thoughtful note, and/or a fun introductory activity, (e.g., sending in video introductions to post on the class website; examples provided by Dr. Lauri Mattenson from Spring 2020).

   • Make sure course materials are accessible to all students according to CAE standards. For example, consider using the live caption feature on Zoom if needed.
     

4. Establish engagement expectations early on.

   • Zoom can easily consume all of the hours in a day, establish clearly when you will be available each week.

   • Decide how lenient you want to be with how students engage in synchronous sessions, (e.g., do you want cameras on or off? Is attendance mandatory?)
     

5. Change your email signatures to include your time zone, especially if you are not in the Pacific Standard Time (PST) zone. Encourage your students to include their time zones in their email signatures as well.
   

6. Ensure all course materials (readings, videos, films, articles, etc.) are easily accessible online, either through the UCLA Library or other online avenues.
   

7. Study, practice, experiment. The virtual landscape of online education is changing rapidly, and we are all learning as we go. However, experimenting with the platforms you plan to use prior to the start of the quarter can help tremendously.
   

8. Familiarize yourself with signs of student distress. In the middle of Fall 2020, the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs announced tips on how to support students, especially those in distress.

   • Link to guide

During the Quarter

1. For Synchronous Sessions:

   • Set up a good Zoom workspace with a professional background. More info on how to do so here.

   • Troubleshoot tech issues ahead of time (e.g., bad connection) as it can cause you to be late to your class sessions or interrupt lecture and discussion time.

   • Check in with your students as a group and individually at the start of class. Students are consumed with their own personal issues, so providing this space, even for a brief moment, goes a long way.

   • Be mindful of screen fatigue.

   • Keep students engaged in new ways, (e.g., polls, breakout rooms, frequent discussion questions, etc.)
     

2. Conduct an informal mid-quarter survey to assess how students are doing.
   

3. Send students encouraging emails and messages frequently.
   

4. Be flexible with deadlines and attendance.
   

5. Figure out if and how you will conduct assessments.

   • Here is a list of Remote Assessment Recommendations.
     

6. Our team will check in with you mid-quarter to see if we could provide any general assistance for your course.

After the Quarter

1. Please share your reflections from this remote quarter with our team on a questionnaire we will send from the honorscollegium@college.ucla.edu address after the final week of instruction. We hope to gather your thoughts to improve upon this resource portal, create an opportunity to learn from one another, and better support our faculty during these times.