Frequently Asked Questions
Remote Teaching Strategies & Resources
General
- How do I get started with transitioning my face-to-face class to remote delivery?
- What tools will I be using for my virtual class?
- LMS: Canvas
- Virtual Classroom: Zoom or Adobe Connect
- What types of instructional materials and activities can I incorporate in my virtual class?
- What considerations am I required to make for my virtual class?
What are some of the do’s and don’ts for successful delivery of my virtual class?
DO:- Post your class syllabus and instructional materials on your course site prior to the start date.
- Keep students informed by posting announcements on your course site.
- For a virtual Zoom meeting:
- Please maintain the face-to-face pre-existing class meeting time and day as already scheduled or mentioned in your syllabus. This will help maintain consistency and will not require students to adjust their schedules to participate.
- Ensure you and your students have access to a quality webcam and a microphone as appropriate.
- Prior to the meeting, test your equipment from the hosting location to troubleshoot any technical glitches.
- Keep the lines of communication open with your students.
- Reach out to the students who are missing virtual classes. This could be a sign that the students are experiencing difficulties.
- Ask your students how you can help them.
- Use Zoom to meet with your students for your regular office hours, to discuss additional challenges, and for private conversation.
- Provide feedback on assignments in a timely manner.
DON'T:- Reschedule your virtual classes for times and days that your class does not normally meet, or extend class meeting time beyond scheduled hours.
- Make any changes that impact the amount of work and study time required of students and Teaching Assistants.
Zoom
- What is Zoombombing and how can I protect my class?
- Due to increased Zoom security, how can I allow students to share their synchronous presentation?
- Is there a maximum number of students allowed in a Zoom session?
Zoom allows for video, audio, and screen sharing between up to 200 participants. - How can I log into my Zoom account and configure my profile?
- How can I schedule and add a Zoom session to my Canvas course site?
- How can I start the Zoom session I created for my class?
- What are some of the Zoom basics and best practices?
- How can I upload virtual classroom recordings to my Canvas course site?
- What are the different features available in Zoom?
- To accommodate a student with hearing challenges, how can I enable closed captioning in my Zoom session?
Exams
- How can I replicate face-to-face exams in my virtual class?
As you plan to replicate a traditional exam in a virtual learning environment consider several factors. For example: class size, time, resources, your familiarity with the existing tools, student access to resources. Accordingly, consider using assessments that help students with mastery learning. This involves students working on assignments that allow them to apply concepts as they problem solve and demonstrate higher order thinking skills. For example, student presentations, peer review, annotated research bibliography, self-reflection papers, historical timeline creation, student created factsheet, scenario-based learning. - How can I design quizzes in my virtual class that would prevent students from cheating?
If you are planning to use Canvas Quizzes, then these are some of the quiz design suggestions that can be used to promote academic integrity:- Use a bank of questions that randomly pulls questions from it. This allows the probability of each student getting a different set of questions.
- Prepare timed exams to prevent students from accessing other resources.
- Randomize the order of question appearance.
- Make questions appear one at a time as it makes it harder for the students to print or have others work on it.
- Limit feedback displayed to the students. To maximize quiz security, the best option is to let the students see the correct answers to the quiz until after the “due” date and consider how long the students can view the correct answers.
Accessibility
Copyright
- What are some of the copyright resources?
- What is the best way to post articles and other readings on the course site to ensure copyright compliance?
To ensure copyright compliance, it is recommended that you post copyrighted reading material on the CSUN University Library E-Reserves.
Class Roster and Grades
- How can I access my class roster?
- When are grades due?
Faculty Senate policy states that final grades must be submitted within five working days after the final exam. - What is the system used to record students’ final grades?
SOLAR is the system that is used to record students’ final grades. - How can I enter and/or approve students' grades in SOLAR?
