Pedagogy: Best Practices for Teaching Remotely

Basic principles:

Bear in mind the principle of backwards course design: What do you want your students to be able to do or know by the end of the semester? How can you help them get there in this limited, remote environment? Prioritize and be realistic with yourself and your students.
Don't reinvent the wheel. You will not be able to do everything that you would normally do, nor will your students. Do the best you can and ask for help when needed. Be patient with yourself and with one another.
Keep it simple. Brightspace and other tools are capable of doing much more than you likely need to do. Remember the basics, use tools you know and like, and don’t worry about being fancy.
Communicate clearly with your students about any changes you are making to the syllabus, the assignments, the due dates, or other expectations. Be transparent about your pedagogical choices. Post a revised syllabus on Brightspace. Be clear about how they will communicate with you and with each other.

Adjusting different modes of instruction to an online environment

In any transition from a physical class to a remote one, there are two main methods of instruction delivery:

Synchronous Options

Holding your remote class live at a specific time and in a specific virtual place. Setting up this option is described in our Conducting an Online Class page of this website. A synchronous, virtual class most closely mimics the physical class environment. You and your students, via a variety of devices, meet together virtually to learn and teach within a single platform. You can also hold office hours virtually via Zoom.

Asynchronous Options

Rather than holding live classes online, Brightspace gives you the ability to teach in many ways you are familiar with in the physical classroom. Via your course's Brightspace page students can participate in group discussions, access materials that you post, submit assignments, and take tests.

Follow the content areas below to get a better sense of both the synchronous and asynchronous options available to you.