Remote Teaching: How-to and tools

(Adapted with permission from University of Calgary: Taylor Institute)

Below is a table of common teaching and learning practices, such as lectures, discussions, and group projects. In the corresponding rows, you will find suggested tools to implement these practices remotely. The hyperlinks provided in the table, take you to training and support sites for the various tools.

Teaching and Learning Practice

Remote Options and Tools

Lectures
  • Record video presentations for your class using Panopto
  • Host a live online class using WebEx
  • Upload content to your Course Tools (Blackboard) course (all USask courses automatically have a Blackboard course created)
  • Annotate or narrate lecture notes using PowerPoint
  • Link to existing online content, such as lectures available on YouTube from various universities
  • If using Panopto videos, encourage students to use the Panopto Discussion tool to ask written questions throughout videos

Class Discussions

Group Projects & Group work
  • Break large classes into smaller online groups using Blackboard
  • Provide options for students to meet virtually (e.g. WebEx)
  • Use Office 365/OneDrive or Google Docs for student collaboration
  • Student video recording or digital sharing of projects / performances (e.g., using Panopto or YouTube)
  • Structure peer feedback using the Discussions on Blackboard

Communicating with Students
  • Email your students, either through PAWS or using the Blackboard Email tool
  • Post Announcements for all students in Blackboard
  • Update your syllabus / course outline, email it to your students, and upload it to your Blackboard course site

Office hours

Quizzes and Tests
  • Use the Blackboard Tests tool for auto- and manual-graded tests
  • Use Top Hat questions in “Assigned as Homework” mode
  • Note that these tools can’t prevent students from accessing course materials, books, etc.
  • Explore changing quizzes and tests to different online assessments such as group projects, reflective writing, written or photo essays, research reports, critiques, simulations, scenarios or case studies presentations, and/or ePortfolios

Assignments and Feedback
  • Have students upload documents for grading using the Blackboard Assignment submission tool
  • Set up the Blackboard Grade Centre tool in your Blackboard course site and connect items to assignments
  • Have students submit video or digital recordings of their performances, presentations, or projects – Panopto has a “Student Video Assignment” tool – please contact gmctl-support@usask.ca for support setting this up
  • Use rubrics to help grade assignments more efficiently – Blackboard has a Rubric Tool for assignments uploaded
  • Provide digital inline feedback on student assignments on Blackboard

Readings and Resources
  • Upload content to your Course Tools (Blackboard) course (all USask courses automatically have a Blackboard course created)
  • Speak with your Library Liaison about putting reserve items online for use in classes
  • Provide students with a link to open textbooks instead of commercial texts they’d need to get physically from the Bookstore
(This page was adapted with permission from: University of Calgary: Taylor Institute)
Last updated: March 12, 2020

You can download the information in this table as a document in two formats.

What Learning Technology tools does USask have licenses for?

Examples of pedagogically effective ways to use learning technologies