Examples of Early Communications With Students (COVID-19 Remote Transition)

• Consider sending an initial written message via your usual channels expressing or reiterating your care and concern for students (which I know some of you have already done!)
• We also suggest creating a short, informal video (1-2 minutes) highlighting these sentiments to embed in your Canvas page (here’s introduction to recording videos using Kaltura MediaSpace tool; how to embed a recorded Kaltura video in Canvas).
• If you – like me – are new to recording video, this informal “I care about you” video can be a good, low-stakes practice run to gauging how/if you would like to use lecture capture video in the remote teaching of your course. The research on video usage in online courses suggests that the optimal length of a video that students will reliably consume is very short (precise numbers vary somewhat – I’ve seen 5-7 minutes as a common recommendation). When it comes to video, less is more.
  

For an initial message of care and concern for students:

Dear class,

As our campus shifts to remote teaching and learning in the coming weeks, I want to take a moment to reassure you about my commitment as an instructor to supporting you and your learning. I know that many of you will have a lot on your mind–health concerns, childcare/eldercare arrangements in flux, worries about family, friends, and colleagues globally and across the US–and I want you to know that I will be doing my best to support you in this challenging time.

Please reach out to me (EMAIL) if there are other areas in which I can offer support or if there’s anything you’d like me to know about your situation – again, I am here to help you.

For an initial nuts-and-bolts communication around the developing new course format, you may wish to use or adapt the following. Again, all details are suggestive and not prescriptive – every instructor’s voice, approach, and course context is distinct:

As for how we will be shifting to remote teaching and learning, here’s what you can expect from me in the coming week(s):

• I will share a short welcome video
• I will continue to use [THIS COMMUNICATION TOOL – e.g. Canvas Announcements] to communicate about the eventual changes in course format and other matters of concern as they arise.
• I’ll send out a survey to determine reasonable expectations for what you as an individual can access remotely (e.g., to see if you have access to a computer and Wifi away from campus) and effective formats to support your learning (e.g. online discussions, short lecture capture videos). I encourage you to take the time to fill out this survey as it will help me bring additional care and specificity to how I adapt the course to our new format.
• Please know that I will be offering flexibility on [THINGS – e.g. assignment deadlines; presentations; scoring of discussion section attendance and participation], and I will be communicating these details to you.
• I’ll highlight resources for student wellbeing, mental health, and food security (see this Google Doc for campus resources in all of these areas) in this period of uncertainty.
• I will set up (or continue to have you use) [VENUE – e.g. Canvas Discussions] as a place for you to ask me questions and support one another during this period. I’ll encourage you all to use this as a space to say hello and check-in on one another!

Please reach out to me (EMAIL) if there are other areas in which I can offer support or if there’s anything you’d like me to know about your situation – again, I am here to help you.

With warmest wishes,

[NAME]