Remote Shift Guidance

With a shift to remote operations, teaching and learning can and should still go on.

This is not a conversion to online teaching. Rather, it is a temporary adjustment when an in-person class cannot meet as planned.

To manage this shift, and to help your students navigate it, follow the three steps outlined below.

• Identify the most important information that you were going to present today.
• If that must be presented synchronously, then use zoom.
• If there are materials associated with that information, use D2L to post them.
• Assign meaningful work.
• Plan for a reasonable amount of flexibility where possible. Students’ workflows, access to course content, and communication with both you and their peers may have been interrupted.  
  • If possible, make plans for delayed submission of assignments, extended time on work, and other flexible accommodations where warranted
  • The best quick shift policies take a blanket approach that afford the same flexibility to all students
• You do not need to replicate the entirety of the planned class, but it is still valuable to give students meaningful work to complete. Here are some suggestions:
  • Hold a meaningful synchronous online meeting via Zoom
  • Post a reading, and assign a note-taking or annotation activity
  • Find a YouTube video and suggest students watch it
  • Post a discussion forum in D2L where students engage with each other about a core course topic
  • Post planned slide deck for the day and have students write 3 questions they have about the content in the slides
  • Ask students to find and share in D2L 1 news story from the last week that is pertinent to your course 

• Post an announcement with your clear plans and instructions in D2L using the D2L Announcements Tool.
• The most reliable way to reach all your currently enrolled students is to use the "Email Students in a Class" tool on the Registrar's Instructor Systems site. Use that tool to craft a message to your students. Include in the message links to any zoom meeting you set up, and links to your D2L course site. Clearly tell students what steps they need to take.
• For more info on remote communication with your students, check out this Remote Communication With Your Students Quick Guide. 

As the day goes on, note what common questions students seem to have. Re-use your communications from before (e.g. "Email Students in a Class" tool, D2L Announcements) to post a follow-up FAQ.

Monitor MSU official communications and news reports and share relevant updates with your students about campus and plans for the next class session. 

• CTLI's website has a suite of instructional resources and points of communication.
• For more detailed information on hybrid and remote learning, you can reference this guide.
• For more guidance on Instructional practices, you can reference this guide on instructional support.
• Reach out to the IT team if you need assistance with the transition to remote learning. You can fill out the form, and help is also available on IT’s support website.