We will update this page with new communications throughout the semester.

Past Updates

APRIL 14, 2020

We hope this email finds you well. Week in and week out, you are making a difference with your expertise and adaptability. Thank you for setting such a great example for your students as you help them navigate the remainder of the semester.

Please continue to visit the Academic Continuity Resources toolkit, which we will update as needed. In addition to our regular communications each Tuesday and Thursday, you also can refer to our archive of previous messages and follow ITS on Instagram and Twitter for updates and tips.

Today’s topics:

• Course feedback window opens April 15
• Watch out for COVID-19 phishing scams
• Guide to recording from home
• Providing feedback in Blackboard
• Netiquette
• Success Story: Supplementing synchronous meetings with asynchronous review videos

Course Feedback Window Opens April 15

Learning from our students about their course experiences is an important undertaking, even more so now as the spring semester has unfolded in such an unexpected way. The window for collecting student course feedback is April 15-29. During this time, please remind your students to complete the online course feedback form if one is distributed for your course(s). Be sure to thank those who already have submitted responses. If a feedback mechanism is not currently in place for your courses, consider asking your students to share their perceptions on what parts of the course were most and least helpful to their overall experience. For tips on improving response rates and the quality of course feedback from students, visit the Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment course feedback pages.

Watch Out for COVID-19 Phishing Scams

The Information Security Department has seen increased reports of phishing messages that use COVID-19 as a pretext to get users to click on links. The emails promise government checks as part of the federal stimulus package or ask employees to click links to complete a “COVID-19 Payroll Adjustment.” Clicking on the links in the email usually results in a compromise of the user’s password or an attempt to download malware. Our students, faculty and staff are our best line of defense against phishers. Be extra vigilant during this time, and ask yourself these questions the next time you receive a suspicious email.

Guide to Recording from Home

Are you about to record your first video? Have you done a few in recent weeks but you’re not sure if you’re doing it correctly? Check out these best practices and recommendations for simple computer-based video recordings while working from home.

Providing Feedback in Blackboard

Online quizzes and tests have features that allow instructors to build in feedback for all questions and to tailor that feedback to both correct and incorrect answers. Learn more about grading and providing feedback in Blackboard.

Netiquette

Proper conduct is just as important in an online course as it is in a face-to-face course. Outlining proper communication and course expectations is important to support the learning of the class.

Success Story: Supplementing Synchronous Meetings with Asynchronous Review Videos

According to the Center for Learning and Student Success (CLASS), some students have reported that working from home in different time zones has made it tough to fit synchronous tutoring into their schedules. CLASS has devised a solution that might also apply to your courses: short pre-recorded videos that supplement (without replacing) synchronous meetings.

Based on student feedback, CLASS Assistant Director Samantha Johnston reached out to Cooper Shawver ’22, who leads CLASS group tutoring for Economics 101. Together, they dreamed up “Questions for Cooper.” Students can view these pre-recorded tutoring videos at whatever time is convenient for them. Now, ECN 101 students can email class@syr.edu with questions or topics they would like Cooper to review. The videos are posted on the CLASS ECN 101 Online Tutoring Blackboard Organization, which all ECN 101 students can access. This new approach allows tutors to recommend review concepts and study strategies in a format that allows students to view the information when they want it.

As always, we invite your questions, suggestions and success stories. Thank you for all you do for your students and for Syracuse University.

APRIL 9, 2020

We hope you are getting more accustomed to working and teaching remotely. These communications are intended to support you as a valued member of the Syracuse University community. If you have suggestions for future topics or questions about best practices, please share them. We will do our best to address them.

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This is not the semester that anyone envisioned. We realize that everyone’s situation is slightly different in terms of family, resources and more. Even so, please remember that you are not alone—we are all in this together. We look forward to helping you make the best of a challenging situation.

March 12, 2020

To support the transition to online course delivery effective at the end of the academic day on Friday, March 13, we will continue to send regular communications to ensure you have the most up-to-date information related to online teaching and learning. If you haven’t already, please bookmark the Academic Continuity Resources toolkit available at at Syracuse.edu/coronavirus/academic-continuity.

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