Start with Basics

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Review This Preparation Checklist

The checklist below (print a pdf) will help continuity of instruction without too much additional disruption. When considering the choices below, be sure to plan for how you will provide academic accommodations for students with disabilities.

First Steps

Issue to Address		Possible Solutions
1.	Determine your primary mode of communicating with your students. Online learning can feel isolating. Make communication easy by selecting one primary method, then use it early and use it often.	ELMS-Announcements	ELMS-Announcements
		UMD Gmail	UMD Gmail
2.	Make your syllabus available digitally. Shifting to a new mode of delivery can be disorienting. Ensure your syllabus provides clear deadlines and conveys high expectations for academic integrity.	ELMS-Syllabus	ELMS-Syllabus
		UMD Gmail	UMD Gmail
		Google Drive	Google Drive
Does the pedagogy of your discipline rely heavily on physical action or interaction? Such as labs, studio, etc.? Are you looking for internship guidance? Need help brainstorming an interactive live session? Use this link to schedule time with the Academy for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Teaching Your Class

Issue to Address		Possible Solutions
3.	Decide how you will distribute documents and readings. Learning resources need to be presented to students in a logical order and ‘chunked’ to make them understandable. ELMS modules or pages is a great way to do this.	ELMS-Files or pages	ELMS-Files or pages
		Library Services	Library Services
		Box	Box
4.	Designate a centralized place to collect student submissions. If possible, avoid tracking submissions by email. ELMS allows you to gather, comment on, and grade assignments all in the same digital space.	ELMS-Assignments	ELMS-Assignments
		Google Docs	Google Docs
		UMD Gmail	UMD Gmail
5.	Brainstorm ways you can continue class discussions. Feeling disconnected can have an impact on student motivation. Support student-to-student interactions through discussion boards, interactive sites, social media, etc. It is not sufficient just to load content into ELMS.	Discussions or Groups	Discussions or Groups
		Piazza	Piazza
		Zoom	Zoom
6.	Consider recording your lectures for students to watch remotely When providing direct instruction remotely - leverage existing videos, and graphics then consider creating your own. Record mini-lectures; one 6-minute concept at a time. Provide opportunities for reflection and practice.	Panopto	Panopto
		Powerpoint	Powerpoint
		Zoom	Zoom
7.	Select a platform for hosting live sessions, if necessary. Relying on a live connection can add stress for you and for students. Have a back-up plan (phone only?) in case you encounter connectivity challenges. Check out this resource to prepare for live sessions.	WebEx	WebEx
		Zoom	Zoom

Feedback and Support

Issue to Address		Possible Solutions
8.	Select a mode for hosting office hours. Choose a tool you are comfortable with and, if possible, increase the number of times when you can be available by phone or internet. Knowing you are available will ease help students feel more supported.	Phone	Phone
		Google Meet	Google Meet
		WebEx	WebEx
9.	Think about how your methods for evaluating student learning could be moved to a digital space. Self- assessment activities, like integrated textbooks, ELMS quizzes and vetted simulations can help you gauge student progress. Project presentations, final exams and paper submissions can be done online as well. Also consider assessing which assignments are essential.	ELMS-Assignments, Quizzes, Groups, Discussion boards, etc.	ELMS-Assignments, Quizzes, Groups, Discussion boards, etc.
9.	Decide how you would provide students with grades and feedback online. Formative feedback is crucial to learning. Use rubrics, gradebook messaging, and provide comments on assignments. Help students self-monitor their progress by using ELMS gradebook and by keeping grades available.	ELMS Gradebook	ELMS Gradebook
		Gradescope	Gradescope
		UMD Gmail	UMD Gmail

Provide Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

• Ensure your ELMS site is accessible. This is essential for students using any type of assistive technology, but it is beneficial to all students.
• Use the Course Accessibility Checklist and explore the Six Essential Steps to ensure the accessibility of your web content.
• Extended time for exams and quizzes is the most common academic accommodation. Use the ELMS Quiz Extensions Tool to provide extra time for specific students.
• Ensure that all videos and multimedia you use are captioned or have a text-only transcript. DIT offers a Panopto Professional Caption Service or you can caption it yourself.
• If you have a student who requires captioning as an accommodation please contact ADS Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services office for assistance at dhhs@umd.edu.
• If you have students who require online content (e.g., ELMS page, documents, articles, textbooks) in an alternative format (e.g., audio files, large print versions, braille printouts, etc.) contact ADS Alternative Text Unit at adsalttext@umd.edu.