Plan

It’s essential to plan for course adjustments and communication in order to ensure a smooth transition into the remote learning space.

• Adjust your expectations for students: You may need to adjust some of your expectations for students, including participation, engagement, grading, and deadlines. As you think through these changes, keep in mind the effect that a campus disruption may have on students’ ability to meet those expectations. Students may encounter additional barriers, which you should be mindful of. These include illness, lacking power or internet connections, or needing to care for family members. Be ready to handle requests for extensions or accommodations equitably.

• Some students rely on MSU’s infrastructure for internet access. Should access to campus be restricted it is possible that some students may have limited internet connectivity or be reliant on cellular networks for their internet access. Please keep this in mind. Here are two sites to help find accessible wifi hotspots:
  • Connected Nation Wifi Hotspots
  • Eduroam

• Develop a communication plan: It’s important that you develop a robust communication plan. Clarify your modified expectations and course elements and communicate them to students. Tell students how they can contact you (email, online office hours, Microsoft Teams, etc.), and how soon they can expect a reply from you. Consider using the D2L announcements and discussion board tools to push out course-level communications.

• Consider realistic goals for continuing instruction: Be realistic about what can and can not be accomplished in a remote environment. Refocus the course goals on realistically attainable objectives. Clarify what your expectations are for students’ efforts with regard to reading and homework. Be clear with students what you expect of them with regard to participation and online discussion.

• Adjust your syllabus as needed: Clarify what policies (attendance, participation, grading, schedule) will need to be altered for the duration of the remote delivery. Provide as much detail as possible about changes. Do not expect students to participate in synchronous sessions at a time other than the normal course time. Here we provide language that should be included in your syllabus.