Colleague Spotlights
Read examples of creative ways our colleagues are facing the challenge of remote teaching.
Spotlight on Creative Instruction: Supporting Wellbeing
In this Spotlight on Creative Instruction, faculty colleagues share their own approaches to centering students'--and their own--wellbeing. Sarah Adams-Schoen Assistant Professor, Law Things I do to support my students' wellbeing include: I encourage students to give feedback to me, directly or anonymously, about anything about the course structure, materials or my teaching that makes it difficult for them to engage or learn. I put this encouragement in the syllabus and also make the point in class a couple times throughout the semester and provide names, phone numbers and email addresses of administrators who will share anonymous student feedback with me. I take attendance at the start of...
Faculty Course Tours
In these 30-minute videos, faculty colleagues show their course sites in Canvas and concrete approaches to organizing a course, creating opportunities for connection and interaction, and providing both structure and flexibility for students. See real teaching materials and hear colleagues reflect on how they make the most of remote and online instruction. Erin Beck, Associate Professor, Political ScienceView the course tour Erik Ford, Instructor, Lundquist College of BusinessView the course tour Leah Schneider, Senior Instructor, Lundquist College of BusinessView the course tour
Spotlight on Creative Instruction: Preparing Powerful Endings to Remote Courses
by Yvonne Braun and Natascha Reich As we approach the end of the spring term, instructors and students are reflecting on what an extraordinary term it’s been. The quick shift to remote instruction amid a global pandemic has brought challenges and opportunities, including unforeseen openings for reflection on what and how students are learning, as well as occasions to develop self-awareness, mark growth, and build resiliency skills in ways that can transfer to new contexts. Reflective activities at the end of a course can solidify students’ new knowledge. They also can be a window into students’ experiences: their interests and concerns, memorable moments in your course, and what they’ll...
Spotlight on Creative Instruction: Giving Feedback on Students’ Work
by Yvonne Braun and Natascha Reich Giving and receiving feedback is an integral part of teaching and learning. Remote instruction creates new challenges for delivering timely and useful feedback on students’ work to enhance their learning, whether as part of graded assignments, discussion activities, or progress in a studio-based class. And yet, remote instruction – where instructors and students may not be in the regular presence of one another – makes feedback even more critical for fostering connection and helping students progress in their courses. These short profiles highlight creative strategies UO faculty and GEs are using to give real-time and asynchronous feedback—each...
Spotlight on Creative Instruction: Teaching through Crisis (Part Two)
by Yvonne Braun and Natascha Reich The global pandemic that has driven the need for remote instruction creates or amplifies stresses and challenges during this extraordinary time. Teaching and learning through this crisis requires, more than ever, that we consider practices that demonstrate care for our students’ wellbeing and recognize how the challenges of the moment may affect the student experience and students’ academic progress. The recent survey of students highlighted what students are experiencing during remote instruction, including specific practices that students appreciated or found challenging this term. As noted last week, the recent survey of faculty instructors was an...
Spotlight on Creative Instruction: Teaching through Crisis (Part One)
by Yvonne Braun The global pandemic that has driven the need for remote instruction creates or amplifies stresses and challenges during this extraordinary time. Teaching and learning through this crisis requires, more than ever, that we consider practices that demonstrate care for our students’ wellbeing and recognize how the challenges of the moment may affect the student experience and students’ academic progress. The recent survey of students highlighted what students are experiencing during remote instruction, including specific practices that students appreciated or found challenging this term. The recent survey of faculty instructors was an opportunity to hear what faculty are...
Spotlight on Creative Instruction: Alternative Assessment Strategies
by Yvonne Braun and Natascha Reich For many faculty and GEs, remote instruction has demanded that they reconsider how they conduct assessments of student learning in their courses. UO’s Academic Council has required that instructors not grade attendance, that they offer alternative or make-up assignments even for participation-based grades, and that instructors find alternatives to proctored exams. Instructors are responding to these conditions with wide-ranging, creative and learner-centered alternative assessments that combine content knowledge with learning skills aligned with course goals. Below are a series of short profiles of faculty and GE instructors from different disciplines...
Spotlight on Creative Instruction: Facilitating Interpersonal Connections with Students
by Yvonne Braun and Natascha Reich Creating opportunities for interpersonal connections with and among our students has always been critical for student learning, and it may be even more important during this time of remote instruction. How to foster connection while teaching remotely is a new concern for most instructors across campus. Below are a series of short profiles of faculty and GE instructors from different disciplines highlighting how they are creating opportunities for interpersonal connection this term as well as their one tip or piece of advice for other instructors. As always, not all ideas may work equally well for all courses and disciplinary considerations, but hopefully...
Providing a Clear Path through Your Course
by Julie Mueller, TEP with examples from Lindsey Holts, Sports Product Management and Jagdeep Bala, Psychology To aid in navigation, try using: A stable wayfinder Naming...
Spotlight on Creative Instruction: Managing Remote Office Hours
by Yvonne Braun and Natascha Reich Considering how to do office hours remotely is a new concern for most instructors across campus. Fortunately, Zoom and Canvas Conferences provide great ways for real-time interaction with students in various settings. If you are holding office hours by appointment, the Canvas Scheduler can help you manage your appointments. It is an easy to use tool that lets you choose time slots that students can sign up for in the Canvas Calendar. For your regular drop-in office hours at a set time every week, make sure to use the Zoom Waiting Room feature so students don’t accidentally drop in on another student’s conversation with you. Below are a series of short...