Plan and Produce Lecture and Course Materials

Consider ways to replace lectures and course materials with online substitutes. Do instructional activities need to happen in real time, or could students manage some or all of them asynchronously?

• Existing materials. If possible, use existing materials such as textbooks or other readings, publisher materials, specialized web sites, etc. to present key ideas to students.

Work with your subject matter librarian to identify existing digital resources that may serve your purpose. Use the University Libraries' eReserves service to digitize articles to include in your Carmen course. More information...

• PowerPoint. If you already use PowerPoint for lectures, provide the slides with expanded notes for students to read.
  • Optimize your PPT or PDF files to make it faster for student to download them. See optimization instructions...
  • Post these files in the Content area of your Carmen course. Be sure to label all materials clearly. See Content instructions...

• Voice-over narration. If you require voice-over narration to accompany PowerPoint slides or on-screen demos, use Camtasia screen-capture software.
  • We recommend the following options:
    • Schedule a recording session at the Digital Union (370 SEL). Email digitalunion@osu.edu with your request.
      
    • If you are comfortable with technology and only need equipment, check out a Camtasia-enabled laptop from Learning Technology's equipment loan. Call equipment loan at 292-3131 for assistance. See instructions for recording using Camtasia...
      
  • Place these files on Ohio States' streaming media server (see Media Services Upload instructions) and link to them from the Content area of your Carmen course (see Content instructions).

• Lecture recording. If lecture recording (rather than screen-capture) is required to convey your content, contact Media Services to discuss options.

For smaller courses (under 20 students), consider using Carmen's text chat during regular class time. See Chat instructions...

Revise Assignments and In-Class Activities

Consider whether your current assignments work for students who must miss class. Do you need to adjust your expectations, change your assessment format, or transform group projects into individual projects?

You can add another instructor to your Carmen course (such as your chair or a graduate teaching associate) so that someone else has access in the event that you become ill. Make arrangements within your department as appropriate. See Manage Classlist instructions...

Assignments

• Submit electronically. Have your students submit assignments electronically using Carmen's Dropbox. See Dropbox instructions...
  • Dropbox is superior to email because submissions are collected in one place and deadlines can be enforced automatically.
  • Dropbox also includes a secure feedback area and allows you to return graded assignments. Use Microsoft Word to add comments to the students' files. See Microsoft's instructions...

• Handouts. Post any updated handouts or resource sheets in the Content area of your Carmen course. See Content instructions...

If you have group projects or more elaborate assignments, contact carmen@osu.edu to discuss additional options.

Discussions

• Conversation. Use Carmen's Discussion area for conversation and clarification about readings, lecture materials, research projects, and other activities usually done in the classroom. See Discussion instructions and discussion tips / examples.

If you have a large class, you can break students into small groups for more focused discussions and interactions. See Groups instructions...

Quizzes and Exams

• Take-home exams. Use Carmen's Dropbox to collect take-home exams. (See Assignments above.)

• Online quizzes. If time allows, use the Carmen Quizzes tool, where you can create a question pool and randomize answer choices in order to give each student a different set of questions. See Quizzes instructions...
  • Epidemic conditions mean that proctoring in computer labs or other locations will not be feasible.
  • Assume that students will approach exams or quizzes as open book activities.
  • Consider giving mastery quizzes that can be retaken until a specific score is reached.

Communicate Changes to Students

Carmen can help you communicate effectively with students while making efficient use of your time.

• Syllabus. Post a revised syllabus in the Content area of your Carmen course. See Content instructions... (We recommend that you keep your original syllabus available, but clearly identify that it is no longer applicable.)
  • Include information about how you plan to manage course communications. We suggest that you:
    • Use Carmen News to make general announcements.
    • Answer common questions in the Discussion area.
    • List your timelines for responding to personal email messages and questions posed in the Discussion area.

• Student questions. Set up a Carmen Discussion topic for common questions and answers about how the course will be conducted. Answer all common questions in this area, even if you received them via email. See Discussion instructions...
  • Set expectations for how often students should check the News and Discussion area for updates.
  • Encourage students to post non-personal and non-grade-related questions to the Discussion area.

For real-time office hours, schedule phone calls or use Carmen's text chat (see Chat instructions).

• Announcements. Add an announcement in Carmen News to summarize your adjusted course plan. See News instructions...
  • Point out where new resources and tools can be found.
  • Plan to create additional News items to keep students updated on course developments.

• Email. Email your students from Carmen's Classlist or Email tool (see Email instructions) or the SIS Roster with a brief summary of your course plan.
  • Tell students that updated course information and links will be available in their Carmen course.