Pivoting to Virtual Instruction When Campus is Closed

When rapidly switching instructional modalities, it can be helpful to prioritize the most important learning goal(s) for that session and then consider what teaching methods will best achieve those goals in a virtual format.  

Lectures and seminar discussions can be transitioned to Zoom.  

 Zoom breakout rooms can be used to facilitate small group discussions and group work activities. For breakouts, consider giving students an agenda in writing so they are clear on their tasks while in the rooms, and circulating through the rooms (or asking TAs to) to help answer questions and ensure students are on task.  

 Keep in mind that very long Zoom sessions can be more fatiguing than in-person meetings. It is best to add variety to the format between lecture, discussion, and breakouts if possible, and consider an abbreviated session with supplemental offline work when appropriate. Additional strategies for running successful virtual sessions can be found on CETLI’s resources for meeting synchronously in online classes. 

Exams, quizzes, and other in-class assessments can be difficult to proctor securely over Zoom, and so in-class assessments should ideally be postponed. Students may also benefit from extensions for projects and papers if their internet or power access may have been interrupted.  

You may also want to consider asynchronous teaching activities, such as recorded lectures or low-stakes student reflections on course materials, to replace or supplement live sessions. This may be particularly relevant if internet connectivity or access to reliable power is an issue for you or a significant number of students. 

If you already have a Canvas site for your class, students can submit work via Canvas Assignments or, if you want students to benefit from seeing each other’s ideas, have them post to Canvas Discussions. If you do not have access to Canvas, students can email their work or bring their work to the next class session for discussion.