Your instructors will contact you to provide information how the course will be taught remotely. This likely means most of your class will be delivered through Canvas rather than in a classroom on campus. For some, this may also mean using Zoom (online video conferencing) for some classes, it might be emailed reading materials, or may mean having conversations in discussion boards, etc. The delivery method will be different based on the needs of the class.

This is a stressful time for all of us. It is natural to be nervous about a new method of "going to class" than you expected when you registered. This is an emergency situation, and we have to take precautions to keep everyone as safe as possible. The goal is to maintain the delivery of quality instruction and to minimize the disruption of your progress toward degree completion. In-person classes that move to remote formats will be designed differently than regular online classes. Everyone is adjusting right now, and we appreciate your flexibility and patience as instructors, staff, students, and administrators move to remote learning. That said, many of the same skills for success in online classes will help you be successful with remote classes. See Beginning to Learn Remotely for technology tips and skills that will help during this emergency situation.

Canvas is a learning management system (LMS) for faculty and students. You can find your courses, class grades, and other resources from your instructor in Canvas. A few tips:

The links below will take you to Canvas sites designed to help you practice on Canvas and get up to speed with learning in a completely online environment. This resource is intended for students both who have signed up to take an online class and those who are temporarily taking online courses due to an unexpected short term campus closure.

Canvas has robust mobile applications that allow you to access your course from a mobile device, like a smartphone or tablet. While it may not be ideal to do all of your course work on a mobile device, be sure to communicate with your instructor regarding the hardware and connectivity you have to ensure you will be able to access the course materials. See What is the Canvas app? To download and learn more about the Canvas Student app, see Mobile Guides - Canvas Student. Mobile browsers (the internet pages on your device) are not fully supported by Canvas.

Many companies are advertising options for people who will be working or learning remotely as a response to containing COVID-19. This is not an exhaustive list of options, and we will share more as we learn of them. Please be thoughtful about accessing public spaces if you are exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath), are a member of an already vulnerable population, or suspect you have come into contact with anyone who may be at risk of exposure to the virus.

Zoom is a video conferencing tool, which means you can meet with your instructor, adviser, or other students using a web camera and microphone. Zoom allows you to see and hear each other, as well as send typed chat messages. You can access Zoom from your computer browser or from a mobile device (phone, tablet). Some instructors may have synchronous/live meetings (meaning everyone logs into Zoom at the same time), or may record a lecture for you to view later. For more information on using Zoom, please check out the links below. 

Internet Service Provider interruptions happen. If you are working in your Canvas course, a Zoom session, or other tool when this happens, you can log back in when your Internet connection resumes. For Zoom sessions, please check with your professor to see if they are being recorded for later viewing.

If it goes out when taking a quiz or test, or are facing a deadline on an assignment, reconnect as quickly as possible. In some instances, you may not be able to resume the quiz or test. If for any reason, you cannot complete the quiz, test, or assignment on time, please email your instructor as soon as possible.

If your connectivity seems slow and several other people in your home are streaming movies or games, your connection (and theirs) will likely be degraded. If you are using Zoom and the connection is poor, you may want to block the use of video and only use the audio portion which consumes less bandwidth.

See also Dealing with WiFi Issues.

Internet Service Provider interruptions happen. If your instructor’s connection is dropped during a live lecture or other session via Zoom, please be patient. If the session remains open, please give them a few minutes to reconnect. If the session ends abruptly, please try reconnecting. If the session does not resume, please check for emails or Canvas announcements from your instructor.

Yes. We realize that the change in format may mean that students with disabilities may experience barriers that exist at the intersection of disability and course design. If you have yet to establish accommodations with the office, we encourage you to contact the disability office on your campus (links below). If you are already connected with the office, reach out if your accommodation needs have changed with the transition to remote learning.   

Instructors have the ability to adjust the time allotted for a specific student in Canvas. Students should confirm their instructors are aware of their eligibility for the accommodation.

If you have been approved for this accommodation through your campus disability office, your access advisor will work with your instructors to arrange captioning for your Zoom or Panopto lectures. If you need to add this as an accommodation, please contact your campus disability services office.

Many accommodations can be adjusted to the online learning environment. If you have questions about a specific accommodation, we would encourage you to contact your campus disability office.
Online Teaching Certification

Faculty/instructors are invited to register for a seminar that is designed to help deliver quality learning experiences for their students. Multiple dates are available!

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Online Course Workshop

This is a 4-week, 100% online workshop for UM System faculty/instructors teaching online in Fall 2020. In this workshop, you will create an online course.

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