Contingency Plan for Instructional Continuity

In the case of prolonged disruption to normal classroom operations, faculty should have contingency plans for instructional continuity for their students. This guide will help faculty members at Linfield prepare for expected or unexpected events that limit physical access to campus or during extended campus closures due to environmental or public safety concerns.

The instructional design team at Linfield is available to discuss preparations in case of such events and encourages all faculty to reach out should they have questions.

Please note, to avoid conflict with course meetings time, the time period for each class to “meet” is the same as the face-to-face meeting time.

The course time will be reserved as your synchronized meeting time.
That is your time to conduct an online version of the class – interactive lectures, class discussions etc.
You should communicate your expectations attendance/participation per your current policy.

General Preparedness

Consider these topics at the beginning of every term, to prepare for any type of disruption. These strategies are best practices that can help you even in situations that are not emergency related.

Issues to Consider	Solutions
Technology	Ensure that you have the needed devices and connections in your home that you may need for online teaching. This includes a stable internet connection and audio / visual equipment if you’re doing online video chats or recordings.	USB webcams Laptop cameras
Communication	Establish early on what forms of communication you will be using and your expectations during such times should a disruption happen. Download contact information for your students and make sure that they have ways to contact you in event of emergency.	Blackboard Direct Email
Document Backup	Have copies of your material on hand and keep in mind formatting for mobile use, which may be the only way students have of communicating during these times. Remind students to copy or download the syllabus and schedule.	Blackboard OneDrive
Points of Contact	Make sure that you know who to contact in cases of emergency to learn more details for you and your students. These could be department or institutional.	Ask your supervisor for more information on emergency plans

Moving Lectures Online

Method 1: Zoom Video Chat

Zoom is a great option for having live lectures or class sessions during times that campus is closed or inaccessible to you or your students. If you need training on how to setup a Zoom meeting, or how to integrate Zoom meetings into your Blackboard course, please reach out the Instructional Technologist for more information, or check out the Zoom documentation on the Linfield website.

Method 2: Kaltura Video

If you do not feel that your class can meet all together at the same time online, consider making a video for the topic you’d normally lecture on. Kaltura allows instructors to record, edit, and publish videos. It can create great content that instructors can use to engage their students in the digital space. To learn more, check out the Kaltura documentation on the Linfield website.

Digital Class Materials and Assignments

When a class moves online, you may find that much of what students had access to in-person needs to change to material with digital access. There are many ways that students can access material online through Linfield.

But what kind of assignments are best for an online environment?

First off, consider what the main topics of the course you’re teaching are and then the key points of those topics. A simple outline will help you pare down to the essentials that students need to learn and keep progress moving forward if you must move online.

Online Assignments	Solutions
Discussion Forums	Challenge student ideas by letting them see the questions and discussions of their peers, as well as respond asynchronously.
Blogs or Journals	Between only student & instructor or public to the entire class, posts like these are great ways for students to show they read course materials.
Video Submissions	Don’t lose the face to face aspect of class! Students can submit videos instead of discussions or show they know how to complete a specific task.
Research Papers	This can be a more formal paper or a scavenger hunt through library material. Let students show they know how to apply class concepts.

Online Resources

What essentials will you need to know about online teaching and learning to make the most of the online space available to you at Linfield in short notice? Below, you will three different tiers of resources available to you at Linfield. All tiers are supported by your instructional design team, who are available every day of the week to answer questions.

Essential Knowledge	Good to Know	OCE Best Practices
Instructional Continuing FAQ Blackboard basics Teaching Presence Student Centered Learning Facilitating Online Discussion	Writing for Online Audiences Recording Video with Kaltura Course Design	Podcasting Tips & Tricks Online Learning Pedagogies Purposeful Organization

Essential Knowledge

Good to Know

OCE Best Practices

Instructional Continuing FAQ

Blackboard basics

Teaching Presence

Student Centered Learning

Facilitating Online Discussion

Writing for Online Audiences

Recording Video with Kaltura

Course Design

Podcasting Tips & Tricks