Instructional Continuity: Home
An array of events can disrupt faculty’s ability to teach courses via on-campus, in-class sessions. Cal Poly is committed to providing students the opportunity to complete courses despite disruptions. Steadily advancing communication and instructional technologies have greatly enhanced faculty’s ability to provide quality virtual learning experiences.With planning, training on selected user-friendly technologies, and mentoring on effective instruction, faculty can continue instruction through many forms of instructional disruption.
The following pages provide instructors with detailed guidance for adapting their courses to virtual learning in the event of an instructional disruption. The guidance below is primarily for converting conventional in-class instruction to virtual instruction using available low-tech and high-tech methods and tools.
The benefits of increasing Cal Poly's capacity to continue instruction through disruptions are clear: students will be able to maintain their progress toward their degrees, while avoiding sometimes serious financial and personal costs; instructors will have the peace of mind that they can complete their teaching assignments is a robust fashion; and the larger campus community will uphold its commitment to student success, even in the face of unexpected campus closures.
Accessibility and Students with Disabilities
Virtual Instruction can impact students with disabilities. These resources provide best practices for moving course materials to the online learning environment, as well as resources for ensuring that your course materials are accessible: Considerations for Students with Disabilities
Quick Start for Instructional Continuity
When campus administration determines that safety issues require alternatives to in-class instruction, instructors may need to get up to speed quickly. This "quick start" guide provides guidance on how to expeditiously provide appropriate alternative learning experiences.
Guide For Adapting Courses to Virtual Instruction
This 2-part guide is designed to help instructors identify and analyze essential components of courses they originally designed for in-class instruction, and provides options for adapting these courses to virtual instruction. Following this guide can enhance instructors' clarity about the skills, tools, and resources they will need as they prepare to teach virtual courses.
General Strategies
Virtual Instruction, at its core, is grounded in many of the same principles of instruction as in-class teaching. These resources provide guidance on how to select instructional technologies and how to use them appropriately and effectively for teaching, class communication, and online office hours.
Instructional Technologies
These resources provide guidance about the array of instructional technologies Cal Poly provides, or recommends, for various tasks when preparing an on-line alternative to your in-class course:
- ZOOM for Synchronous and Asynchronous Teaching
- ZOOM for Students (Share this link with your students)
- Screencast-O-Matic for Pre-Recorded/Editable Screencasts
- Instructional Continuity with Canvas
More to come...
Recommended Syllabus Statements
In addition to the typical statements that instructors include in a syllabus, instructors may want to revisit their syllabi to point students to additional resources. This page provides a list of recommended syllabus statements that instructors can use or adapt for use in their syllabi.
Strategies for Equity and Inclusion in Virtual Instruction
This guide is intended as a starting point for instructors to consider the ways in which they can intentionally build equity and inclusion in their virtual courses. The strategies presented here are not an exhaustive list but are intended to provide instructors with easy to implement, concrete suggestions for making equity and inclusion a priority in their courses, rather than an afterthought.
Assessments for Virtual Instruction
Assessments in virtual instruction can introduce different challenges than those conducted in in-class settings. These resources provide ideas for effective, informative assessments appropriate for various virtual instruction situations.
Faculty Colleague Support Network
The Faculty Support Network brings together faculty who have experience with tools and techniques for effective virtual instruction to establish a resource for their colleagues who are turning toward virtual instruction. Faculty in this network have significant experience, often including, but not limited to, participation in CTLT workshops that enhance virtual teaching skills. Listings are organized by college and most have noted their areas of particular experience.
