Get Ready to Teach - Fall 2023
Plan for continuous learning
Even with the return to classes on-campus, you may have students who fall ill and will have to isolate. To ensure continuous learning, you should be prepared to share digital course resources (teaching content and learning activities) with your students and to build a strong class community with open lines of communication between you and your students and your students and their peers.
These 5 principles can help ensure continuous learning:
Principle 1: Activate your Moodle Page
Activate your MOODLE page to ensure there is a simple, single place where students can locate your course resources.
- To help you create your Moodle page, visit Setting up your Course Moodle
- To organize your Course Moodle page, visit Setting up your Course Layout
- To create a link to Zoom class sessions in your course Moodle, visit Schedule Zoom Sessions in your Course Moodle
Principle 2: Make your course content available online
The content could be anything related to key course concepts that students can read or watch at their own pace (ie: PPT slides, lecture recordings, simulations, supplemental videos, etc.) and should be shared through your course Moodle page.
- To record with Zoom (live or ahead of class), open a Zoom session and select Record. You can pause recording as needed. For more information on teaching in Zoom, visit Zoom Webconferencing
- To record a video lecture with YuJa, visit Record a Video with YuJa
- To create instructional videos, visit the CTL Lightboard Studio
- To narrate your PowerPoint slides, visit Add Audio Narration to PPT Slides
- For practical tips on creating your lecture videos, visit General Advice for Lecture Recording and Guidelines for Creating Video Lectures
- To share your lecture recordings with students, visit Make Zoom Recordings Available on Moodle
- To upload your Zoom recording to YuJa, visit Adding a sub-channel to a course channel
- To edit your Zoom recording in YuJa, check Trimming videos in the Video Editor
- To record a video lecture with YuJa, visit Record a Video with YuJa
Principle 3: Design your essential learning activities online
Design your essential learning activities online to ensure students who are ill or isolating have opportunity to deepen their understanding of the knowledge, skills or attitudes your course targets. Activities could be group discussion (synchronous or asynchronous), practice activities, project work
- To plan online learning content, visit Planning for Blending your Course
- To plan online class or group discussions, visit Online Discussions: Tips for Instructors
- To create Discussion Forums in Moodle, visit Using Moodle Discussion Forums
- To plan activities that promote learning, visit Non-verbal Zoom Feedback Tools and Using Zoom Polls
- To redesign your course in a blended format, visit CTL Blended Learning
- For guidelines on creating well-structured course assignments, visit TILT
- To ensure your assignments are accessible and inclusive, visit The UDL Guidelines
Principle 4: Build a classroom community
Build a classroom community to ensure students can engage with you, their peers, and the course content throughout the semester, even when they are not able to attend.
- For practical tips on building a community in your classroom, visit Community Building in the Classroom and E-Learning Kit: Building Community
- For activities that jumpstart the classroom community at the semester start, visit Icebreakers for the College Classroom
- To provide students with an opportunity to offer you feedback during the course, visit Using Moodle to Collect Feedback from Students
- To extend your student’s opportunity to learn beyond your scheduled class time, encourage them to join study groups supported by the Student Success Centre (available only for certain classes)
Principle 5: Establish a communication plan and a feedback plan
Establish a communication plan and a feedback plan to ensure students can interact with you and with their peers synchronously and/or asynchronously.
Communication Plan
- To plan your office hours in Zoom, visit Scheduling Virtual Office Hours
- To plan how you will use Moodle as a communication tool, visit Managing Communications in Moodle
- To create opportunities to interact with you and peers, visit Using Zoom Chat
- To create synchronous group work, visit Engaging Students with Zoom Breakout Rooms and
- To ensure students interact responsibly, visit Zoom Etiquette for Students
Feedback Plan
- To learn how you can provide students with feedback in various ways, visit Providing Feedback to Students Online
- To plan activities that allow students to learn with Peer Review activities, visit Giving and Receiving Peer Feedback
Remote teaching quick start guides
If you are new to remote teaching or in need of a refresher for certain aspects of remote teaching, please consult these QuickStart Guides
Course design
If you would like an overview of course design, please consult Course Design Principles for Live and Online Teaching
Syllabus guide
Refer to Concordia's Syllabus Guide when developing your course to ensure you have included all pertinent information for students.
Send your students to Concordia University’s Writing Centre with locations downtown and at Loyola. Our tutors help undergrad and grad students improve as writers while strictly adhering to Concordia’s Academic Code of Conduct Bookable appointments or quick drop-in sessions, online or in-person, in French or in English. Students will find friendly peer-to-peer help at any stage of the writing process.
