Online Pedagogy AdviceMoving to online delivery reveals just how much we rely on the familiar rhythms of campus life to structure our work and student learning. As you transition into an online context, your courses benefit from the intentional establishment of consistency and structures that are lost when meeting face-to-face is not possible.
A shift to online learning necessitates clearly articulating expectations for students, much as we might at the start of a semester. These are highly unusual circumstances: everyone is experiencing an additional burden of stress. In addition, students will be anxious about what a shift to remote learning will mean for them. They will be concerned about grades and their ability to access the internet. By the same token, this is a new experience for most faculty. This shared common ground, especially when discussed openly, can ease student concern and set the terms for going forward with this new mode of course delivery. Simply stating that we are all learning as we go along will go a long way towards creating a shared community.