[Faculty] Resources for Improving Your Hybrid or Online Course Delivery

[Staten, Michael E - (statenm)]

Colleagues,

Even as we put the Spring 2020 semester into the record books (literally) this week, I know that many of you are already thinking about Fall 2020 and how you'll be delivering your courses.  At this point you know as much as I do, which is exactly what President Robbins and Provost Folks have said on numerous occasions:   we plan to be back on campus and offering  in-person courses in the Fall.

In the coming weeks we'll be seeing multiple revisions of a Campus Re-entry plan.  I suspect the details will continue to evolve, possibly right up to the first day of classes.  But, there are some things we do know and can begin to plan around.  Perhaps the most relevant for instruction is that, if we are able to offer in-person classes, we will have to accommodate both faculty and students who are at higher risk for the COVID-19 disease (e.g., older faculty or immuno-compromised individuals) and don't feel safe returning to campus.  This means that faculty teaching in Fall 2020 (and perhaps Spring 2021) will need to plan how to deliver their course to students in-person and online.  And, depending on the faculty member, they may need to deliver to both groups of students from off campus.

To me, it sounds unavoidable that faculty must prepare for some degree of online/digital delivery.

This does not mean that you must become experts by August!   We all know that mastery of a new craft (like teaching, when you first entered the field) takes many hours of practice, repeated trials, feedback, reflection, innovation and so on.  Don't expect mastery by August.  Shoot for a level of competence that you can feel good about and build upon as you gain experience through the semester.

Everyone on this distribution list who happened to be teaching in Spring 2020 has now dipped at least a toe into online delivery.  The experience was undoubtedly better for some, less satisfactory for others.  But, you pulled it off with only 6 days notice.  You have more warning this time around and will almost certainly do it differently, and better, next fall.  You are already building on your prior experience.

Fortunately, the UA has many resources for online course development and digital learning available to you as well.  The UA Office of Instruction and Assessment (OIA) and the Office of Digital Learning (ODL) each have a wide range of tutorials and other resources to accommodate faculty from rank beginner to seasoned veteran.

Attached is a Quick Reference Guide to these resources, assembled by Jim Hunt, our CALS Assistant Dean for Academic Services.  Jim is available most of the summer to offer guidance and answer questions.  His contact information is on the bottom of the Guide.  I strongly recommend that you take an afternoon and click through the links on the Quick Reference Guide to get familiar with what is available, with a goal of finding a starting point that works for you and your level of experience.

I know that preparing for hybrid or online delivery seems like a daunting challenge for many of you.  Do not despair!  By my count we have 109 days until the start of Fall semester 2020.   Even doing a modest amount every week will get you well-positioned in time for the start of classes.  You will find, for example, that hybrid course delivery is really not so different from what many of you do already.  And the video recording technology is now so easy to use that you'll quickly become confident in recording and posting lecture material in "small bites" after just a few trials.

Every CALS academic unit has faculty members who are already veterans at digital learning and online delivery.  If you don't already know who they are, ask your colleagues or your Unit Head.  We are forming a CALS Faculty Learning Community led by Kayle Skorupski (Nutritional Science) and Arin Haverland (Environmental Science) that will provide peer-to-peer assistance throughout the summer and into the academic year.  I believe you will be hearing from them soon, if you haven't already.   Connect with them, ask questions, take advantage of their experience.

You can do this!  But, the important thing is to just get started.

As always, don't hesitate to send me questions, comments, suggestions.  Helping you prepare for Fall 2020 is my office's top priority this summer.   We have queries out to the provost's office regarding room and course scheduling, changing official "modality" for delivering courses, etc.  Don't worry about any of that now.  We'll keep you posted.

And, thank you again for all that you are doing, and continue to do for our students.   Nobody does it better than CALS!

Mike


Michael Staten | College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Bart Cardon Associate Dean for Career and Academic Services
Professor, Agricultural and Resource Economics
The University of Arizona
Forbes Hall, Room 211
The University of Arizona
PO Box 210036
Tucson, AZ 85721-0036
PHONE: 520.621.1932
statenm at email.arizona.edu<mailto:statenm at email.arizona.edu>
www.mikestaten.com<http://www.mikestaten.com>



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