In situations where instructors must teach remotely on short notice such as an extended weather event, instructors are expected to do what they can to ensure student learning and success despite the difficult circumstances. When you need to transition your face-to-face course to online delivery, many strategies can be implemented to provide an effective learning environment. The goal is to ensure that students continue to build knowledge, interact with the content, peers, and the instructor, and are assessed on their mastery of the course objectives.
Here are some resources for continuing instruction online when faced with a sudden switch from classroom to remote learning.
While everyone is encouraged to think creatively while creating assignments online, keep in mind that not all students have access to the same technology (high-speed internet, laptops, mobile devices, software, etc.). It might be neccessary to make additional accomodations for those students unable to switch to online engagement.
Synchronous, Live Class Meetings Online
One option is to continue meeting at your regular class time but doing so on Zoom or in Microstoft Teams Meetings. Learn more about using Zoom or Microsoft Teams Meetings Meet. See these strategies for synchronous online classes from Illinois State University opens a new website.
Using Canvas
When synchronous live class meetings are not possible, use Canvas to continue your course online. Every UAB course has a course shell in Canvas whether you are using it or not. If you are already supplementing a campus course with Canvas to provide things like your syllabus and grades, then you are well on your way to using it for remote learning. If you have not used Canvas for your class, you can still use it to provide extended learning for the duration of the emergency remote teaching needs.
Getting Started if you are not Currently Using Canvas
- Communicate your plan to students by emailing them and posting an announcement in Canvas about the plan. Instructors can send emails to their entire roster via BlazerNET. This option only allows text to be sent and cannot include attachments (files).
- Create a module to introduce the week’s topic and plans. You can upload documents your students may need, create a discussion assignment, and even create a quiz.
- Schedule an optional live Zoom class during your course’s scheduled time. You can do a lecture including presenting a PowerPoint presentation or simply use the time to answer questions about assigned readings or other activities.
- Consider providing virtual office hours in Zoom where students can drop in to ask questions and get support.
Canvas Login Opens an external link.
Canvas Announcements
Post announcements opens a new website with written or recorded messages opens a new website for your students. This is the fastest way to communicate with your entire class from within Canvas. Suggest to students that they check their notifications settings opens a new website to allow for copies of announcements to be forwarded to their email address. You will need to make sure your course is published for your students to see the announcements.
Canvas Discussions
Setting up a Canvas discussion opens a new website is an easy way to allow instructors to discuss course content or assignments with students, or for students to share work or ask questions.
Syllabus
Upload your syllabus on the Syllabus page in your Canvas course or use the Simple Syllabus tool to create a syllabus or load an existing one. Make sure to include a message about new online components and expectations.
Course Content
Use Canvas Modules opens a new website to organize things like pages, files, assignments, and discussions in one place. Add Canvas Pages opens a new website to your module to present text, hyperlink to files or websites, and embed images, recorded videos, and YouTube videos. All files uploaded to your Canvas course can be seen via the file tab in the course navigation unless you hide this tab from your course navigation opens a new website. To avoid confusion and ensure students only see what you want them to see, we recommend hiding the Pages and Files tabs from students. Using the Modules, they will have all items needed in one place.
The UAB Libraries provides many Faculty Resources opens a new website. Contact UAB Libraries opens a new website for assistance in linking library resources to your Canvas course (view their Teaching resources opens a new website).
Note: The UAB Learning Technologies Online Course Template can provide structure for setting up your online course in Canvas. This template includes a homepage, Course Information module, UAB Policies and Resources module (with UAB policies, technical information, etc.), and weekly modules for weeks 1-15. This can be imported into your Canvas course shell and edited for your course from Commons in Canvas.
Create simple narrated PowerPoint slideshows by recording your voice narration over the PowerPoint and share with their students. To do this, click the Slide Show tab in the ribbon menu of PowerPoint, select the slide where you want the recording to begin, and then click Record Slide Show. Once you are done recording, you can save as PowerPoint Show (ppsx file) or a video (mp4 file). Share this with your students by uploading the file in Canvas, OneDrive, or Box. Videos can be also uploaded to Kaltura and embedded in module pages, assignments, or announcements. Find more information and instructions on recording voiceover PowerPoints opens a new website on Microsoft's website. View the Kaltura guides on our Kaltura page.
Assessing Student Work
- Add Canvas Assignments opens a new website to your course modules so that you can collect students' work and record grades in the gradebook.
- Add graded Canvas Discussions opens a new website to your course modules so that students can respond to a prompt with text, files, or video/audio.
- Add Canvas Quizzes opens a new website to your modules to provide formative or summative assessment. Multiple choice, true/false, matching, and fill in the blank question types can be automatically graded while short answer and essay can be graded in the Speedgrader.
- Instructors can use online proctoring services to increase academic integrity.
- Most assignments can be graded using SpeedGrader opens a new website. Or, you can navigate to the gradebook in your course space and enter scores directly by clicking on a cell and entering a number.
- Instructors can pull their grades directly into the Banner Student Information System (SIS) from the Canvas Gradebook during the Grading window.
Conducting a Class without Canvas
While you are strongly encouraged to use Canvas for conducting a course remotely, instructors who choose not to have other options by simply communicating and sharing files with students via email. You can send emails to your entire roster via BlazerNET opens a new website. This option only allows text to be sent and cannot include attachments (files). But you can use Outlook opens a new website or Outlook web opens a new website to send an email that includes links and attachments. Click the Course Roster icon in BlazerNET to see the names and emails of every student in your course. Scroll down to the bottom of this page and click on “Email Entire Class” to open an Outlook email to the students or click on the “Show Data in EXCEL” button to download the roster in Excel.
Smaller files can be attached to an email (less than 30 MB in size). Larger files can be uploaded to one of UAB's approved file storage options opens a new website and shared with students. Box opens a new website allows users to upload all types of documents and provide students access as collaborators opens a new website. You can give students read only access or give them permission to add files to a shared folder.
OneDrive opens a new website allows users to easily create new documents, spreadsheets, and presentations through Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. You can also upload other types of files such as PDFs and media. You can then share those files with UAB faculty, staff, and students by typing in their emails or creating a sharing link.
Equity and Access
There are students registered with Disability Support Services (DSS) who require accommodations which have been tailored to meet their needs in the traditional “in-class” setting. In the event that the university decides to move toward a plan of “online only” classes, DSS will be available to consult with faculty to ensure students continue to have an accessible experience at UAB.
Please note, if the University has not made this change in format, but an individual instructor chooses to change their course to online, it is critical that faculty who have students utilizing certain accommodations, contact DSS to consult. For example, students with hearing loss who use interpreting services or captioning services in the classroom will need to access the online version of the course which will need to continue to be accessible. For example, if an instructor is using Zoom to conduct their class, and a student requires interpreting or captioning services, the instructor will need to work with DSS so we can ensure these accessibility features are included in the delivered format. For questions, please contact Disability Support Services at (205) 934-4205 or
Academic Technology and Support
See all your support options on our support page.