Teaching Continuity Tips and Tools
This page contains resources for how to adapt and teach flexibly in any combination of face-to-face and/or online format.
CHANGES TO TRADITIONAL (A-F) GRADING: The A-F system is the default, i.e., unless a student chooses the Pass/Fail system outlined below. If a student’s grade at the end of the term dictates that they would ordinarily receive a grade of F, they will instead receive a “U,” which will not count against GPA but also does not count as satisfactory completion of the course, meaning no course credit will be given.
PASS/FAIL OPTION: Students may choose this option for a single course, multiple courses, all courses, or no courses taken during this period. For each course taken during the period in which this policy is in effect, students will receive a letter grade unless they elect to switch to Pass/Fail grading for that course. Students wishing to choose the Pass/Fail option for a course should notify the Registrar before exams begin each term. The required form can be found in myCharger on the Registrar Forms page.
For courses where students choose the Pass/Fail option, regardless of the grade that would have been earned during the term, the student will be assigned either a Pass (P) or Fail (U). Pass will be earned when the grade would ordinarily have been between A and D- (undergraduate courses) or A and C- (graduate courses), while Fail will be earned if the student’s grade is below D- (undergraduate) or C- (graduate). A Pass will count as having successfully completed the course for purposes of academic progress, and the student will receive course credit, but no quality points will be earned, meaning it will not affect the student’s GPA either positively or negatively. A Fail (U) will not count as having successfully completed the course, meaning no course credit will be received, but likewise will not affect the student’s GPA.
Please note that while a Pass/Fail grade is what will be recorded on the transcript, the traditional letter grade will also be retained for course prerequisite purposes. If you are in a program that requires licensure or certification this may be relevant, and students should consult with their advisors, and, if applicable, with Athletics, Financial Aid, and/or International Student Office before selecting to go to Pass/Fail for courses. All students should check with their advisors about the advisability of the Pass/Fail option.
ACADEMIC STANDING: Students currently on academic probation of any kind will not be penalized based on their grades during this period.
MID-TERM GRADING: Faculty are asked to submit midterm grades so that students will be aware of their current standing. The system will allow faculty to submit midterm grades as late as necessary.
REPEAT POLICY: All limits contained in the policy regarding repeating courses are suspended for courses taken during this period.
WITHDRAWAL (W) POLICY: Students may elect to withdraw from a course until the day before exams begin each term. The required form can be found in myCharger on the Registrar Forms page.
INCOMPLETE (INC and INC+) POLICY: Incomplete grades (INC or INC+) earned during this period will not be converted into failing grades under any circumstances. If the remaining work toward an INC is completed within one academic year, it will be converted to either a letter grade (A-D-) or a Pass grade, but if the work is not completed, it will remain an Incomplete. Policies regarding requesting extensions to make up the INC+ grade remain in place.
COMPLETION OF EXISTING INCOMPLETE (INC and INC+) COURSES: Students who already have an Incomplete grade (INC or INC+) with work pending will not have such courses converted to failing grades, and will have such reasonable amount of additional time as necessary to complete the work still outstanding.
THIS POLICY IS SUBJECT TO UPDATES AND TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS
- Engaging Students
- Zoom Tips– You can break students into groups via Zoom. This video tutorial shows you how. And this resource is an entire primer for using Zoom as a Classroom.
- Polling Students – If you’re tech savvy, try some of these survey or polling tools. You can use them for problem-solving, misconceptions checks, anonymous student feedback on the course, and more.
- Discussion Forums – Here are tips for creating discussion forums in Canvas. Or try a tool like Flipgridfor boosting social learning through video discussions (integrates with Canvas.)
- Micro-Lecture Resources – If you are creating short videos for online/hybrid courses, you can easily edit using Studio in Canvas with these resources. LinkedIn Learning also has great training videos for those new to recording and editing, such as Creating and Deploying Microlearning.
- Active Learning “Conversions” for Hybrid, Synchronous Online, Asynchonous Online, and Socially Distanced Students – This excellent resource on Active Learning While Physical Distancingshows how you can create similar active learning experiences across a range of delivery modes.
- Group Work & Active Learning in Hybrid & Physically Distanced Classrooms – Derek Bruff’s Active Learning in Hybrid and Physically Distanced Classrooms delivers a wide range of instruction ideas that can be employed across many teaching modes. Examples include jigsaw, fishbowl, hybrid pair work, and ideas for group work.
- Using Student Input
- Mid-Semester Evaluations: Consider using mid-semester evaluations to get anonymous feedback from students about how your courses are going. This Mid-Semester Evaluations blog post describes some simple methods such as the start>stop>continue approach.
- Here are some more examples from Berkeley’s Office of Educational Development and some templates from UNC Charlotte.
- Misconception Checks: You can create a quick misconception check virtually or in person to help you assess the effectiveness and pacing of your instruction.
- Virtually Visiting the Library
- Library Resources – The library has a variety of resources for faculty and students, including their “Chat with a Librarian” service; “Library Help” email service; “Zoom Reference” service; and remote “Research Consultation” service. They also have a 24/7 “Ask a Librarian” service in place. Visit their MyCharger page for more information.
- Best Practices for Online Teaching & Learning
- E-Learning Best Practices – Some of the best practices for online teaching and learning can also be applied to your hybrid courses. See these best practices created by the UNH e-learning team.
- Addressing Diversity and Inclusion – See these best practices for maintaining equity and inclusion in remote learning from the Myatt Center for Diversity & Inclusion.
- Students with Accommodations – View tips for Assisting Students with Learning/Exam Accommodationsprepared by the Accessibility Resource Center at the University of New Haven.
- Notetaker Accommodations During COVID – This document gives information about how faculty should manage student notetakers in their fall 2020 courses.
- Students with Technology Challenges – Refer students to the Student Tech Support page.
- Student Presentations – We recommend having students pre-record presentations and play them in class.
- Social Distance Compliance – What to do if a student does not comply with social distancing? (1) Remind & Reinforce, (2) Report, (3) Retreat.
- Face Covering Compliance – Report face covering compliance issues to Report It!
- Classroom & Personal Sanitizing – Disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer will be provided in all active campus buildings. Wipe in, Wipe out. Sani in, Sani out.
- Class Dismissal – Classes in EVEN numbered classrooms will dismiss on time. Classes in ODD numbered classrooms will dismiss 5 minutes late.
- Entry & Egress – Students closest to the exit will leave first and should file out of the room with as much distance as possible.
- Office Hours – Office hours should be conducted online.
- Canvas – See these University of New Haven tips for administering online exams and quizzes through Canvas, prepared by Nancy Savage.
- Academic Integrity in Virtual Environments– These best practices for maintaining academic integrity in online environments were prepared by the University of New Haven’s Dean of Student’s Office.
- Respondus– The university has adopted two tools from Respondus that help promote academic integrity during online assessments. To use the Respondus Lockdown Brower or Monitor, read Getting Started with Respondus. Also check out these Respondus FAQs.
Below are some technologies that help with student engagement in and out of the classroom. We recommend selecting technologies that integrate with Canvas and/or Microsoft Teams to reduce the amount of applications students have to access.
- Studio – Studio is Canvas’ built-in video recording and editing tool.
- Zeeting – Presentation tool that includes interactive surveys and polls for audience members. Can embed into Canvas pages.
- Poll Everywhere – Remote audience engagement tool.
- Flipgrid– For video-based discussion forums. Integrates with Canvas.
- Thinglink– The free version allows you to create interactive images.
- Anchor – Free podcast creation tool.
- Padlet – Can be used for sticky notes, mindmapping, etc. Can be embedded within Canvas.
- MindMeister – For collaborative brainstorming/mind maps.
- Planner – Project management tool available in Teams for group work or brainstorming.
- LinkedIn Learning – Great tutorial videos on wide range of topics. Use to train yourself on a variety of technologies or even use the videos as mini digital lectures for students.
- Wiki app in Teams – Students can take notes in class/collaboratively edit in real time. Great for interactions in a social distanced classroom.
- Calendly – Great for students to search your availability and set up office hours meetings.
- Class Notebook in Canvas – Includes a collaboration space for teachers and students, a content library, and private notebook for students.
- Miro – Can be used as virtual whiteboard and can be integrated with Canvas.
A Dry Run at A Socially Distanced Classroom – An Inside Higher Ed article about faculty members’ recent practice in social distance classrooms.
Keep Teaching: Resources for Higher Ed – An online community for faculty across the country to share resources and ideas, and ask questions about teaching remotely.
Education Companies offering Free Subscriptions due to School Closings – An extensive list of educational companies that are currently offering their services for free.
Building a Community of Learning – Provides a variety of links to resources on topics such as feedback, accommodating for diversity and inclusion, building a teaching persona—all in the context of online teaching.
Quality Matters Checklist – A remote instruction checklist with actionable strategies, tips, and considerations.
Google for Education – Google has lessons your students can take, such as how to prepare a resume, how to evaluate the credibility of online sources, and more.
Open Educational Resources curated for University of New Haven faculty – Prepared by Jenna Sheffield. Feel free to add your own or comment on these resources!
We strive to record all teaching workshops and webinars and host them on myCharger > Faculty Resources > Workshop Recordings (link located under the calendar). When available, you can also find the Powerpoint slides from recent presentations at the same link.
Please reach out. We’re Here to Help.
Please contact us at DigitalLearning@newhaven.edu. The team will direct your questions to the right person.