As indicated in the University’s announcement, Northwestern will shift to remote instruction for the first two weeks of January. Here are some immediate steps we recommend taking at this time:
1. Review your course(s) in Canvas. Are they up to date? If not, here’s what to do next:
- Review the Keep Teaching page on effective course design for remote instruction
- Import content from previous courses
- Review your assessments for your class
2. Schedule your Zoom class sessions.
- Review our information for securing your Zoom classroom
- Schedule a Zoom meeting in Canvas
- Schedule some remote office hours times for your students
3. Communicate with your students.
- Send an announcement via Canvas to provide students with your updated plan
4. Connect with Teaching & Learning Technologies.
- Schedule a 15-minute consultation to ask any quick questions
- Register to attend a virtual Canvas or Zoom workshop, or
- Refresh your Canvas, Panopto, or Zoom skills with one of our self-paced instructor trainings
When thinking about how to prioritize your time, consider the following course elements which students rate most helpful in Canvas:
- Listing topics, contents, and assignments by week
- Posting grades in Canvas
- Posting course materials in pages or modules
- Adding assignment due dates so that assignments appear in the syllabus tool
- Communicating via course announcements
This list is based on responses of Northwestern students from across the university during the 2020-2021 academic year when asked about instructor usage of Canvas.
Need more time for your questions? Set up a 45-minute one-on-one consultation with Teaching & Learning Technologies.
Although a quick return to remote instruction is challenging, be assured that many of you have done this before, were successful at transitioning online, and have offered engaging remote learning experiences for your students. We are here to help you every step of the way