Best Practices

Top Five Tips for Teaching Remotely

These tips range from using technology to communicate with your students to strategies to provide engaging, immersive online learning experiences.

This page will help you quickly focus on what you need to know and do if you have to shift unexpectedly to a remote teaching format.

1. Leverage Canvas - The online classroom should be your main focus.  

  1. Ask Questions in a Q&A Forum - create this with the discussion tool, and make sure you and your students are subscribed to it. Much better than getting a ton of individual emails.
  2. Communicate Regularly via Announcements - messages go directly to student’s email. Remind them to post questions in the Q&A, and that it’s their responsibility to adjust their notifications so they are getting your messages as you post them.
  3. Create Assignments - time to go paperless and learn to Add Grades and Use Speedgrader. 
  4. Share Content -you’ll need to know how to upload files, how to post links to your files on pages or in assignments, and how to import content from another Canvas course. 
  5. Post the Canvas Student Guide - an essential resource for your students. 
  6. Bookmark Instructor Canvas Guide - an essential resource for YOU. Another one is eCampus Canvas Help Course. If you’re not enrolled, email us a request - eCampus@sjsu.edu

2. Hold Classes Via Video Conferencing - Be face-to-face with all your students and still deliver lecture presentations, have students work in breakout groups etc.  

Option 1: Zoom

  1. Host or Join a Zoom Session [pdf] - this document will help you and your students.
  2. Share Your Screen - display your presentations, an assignment in Canvas, a website, etc.
  3. Record Your Session - post or send recording links to students who are absent.
  4. OPTION: Create Breakout Groups [pdf] - only if you want your students to be in smaller discussion groups.

Option 2: Canvas Conferences

  1. Create a Session - this document will help you and your students.
  2. Manage a session - this document reviews the Conference interface
  3. Share Your Screen - display your presentations, an assignment in Canvas, a website, etc.
  4. Record Your Session - post or send recording links to students who are absent. Recordings are only available for 14 days.
  5. OPTION: Create Breakout Groups - only if you want your students to be in smaller discussion groups.

Option 3: Google Hangouts Meet

  1. Start a Session - this document will help you and your students.
  2. Share Your Screen - display your presentations, an assignment in Canvas, a website, etc.
  3. Record Your Session - post or send recording links to students who are absent.

3. Make Videos, if Needed - if you hold class using web conferencing you won’t need videos. This is still a useful skill, however. 

  1. Get access to Camtasia - by filling out the web form.
  2. Enroll in the Self-Paced Mastering Camtasia Course - by filling out the webform. 
  3. (OR, if you’re super tech phobic, use Screencast-O-Matic. It’s not as robust as Camtasia, but it’s extremely easy to use.)

4. Keep Alternative Lines of Communication Open - there are many ways people connect online, so it’s a good idea to be aware of other platforms your students may use. 

  1. Google Hangouts Chat - is a great way to chat, and right from within your Google email account. You can also do a video call, and it works on mobile too.
  2. Canvas Chat - is a real-time chat tool available within your Canvas course.

5. Store it in the Cloud - it’s just plain easier when your files are all in one place, and accessible from anyof your devices, in any location.

  1. Google Drive - organize all your documents, presentation slides, worksheets, and photos in one place.

Have a tip you would like to share? Please send it to eCampus.

Securing Zoom Meetings

It is important to consider the security implications of the Zoom meetings you set up. It’s especially important to properly secure your meeting if there is any discussion of Level 1 or Level 2 data.

Import a Canvas Template

eCampus has different course templates available that can get imported into your Canvas course. The template provides guidance on the design of your course and includes helpful resources for your students when in an online environment.