In an emergency situation such as fire, earthquake, or pandemic, LATTC may move some or all of its instruction and services online. This appendix to the LATTC DE Handbook provides resources for faculty who want to be prepared for such a situation, as well as some detailed suggestions and guides that can be used in the moment when quickly shifting in-person classes to remote instruction to maintain instructional continuity. We had to do this in 2020. We hope it won't be necessary again, but it's always best to be prepared.

Please note that true Distance Education requires:

significant effort toward course design,
specialized instructional and technical skills, and
knowledge of a variety of requirements, policies, and recommended practices - which the rest of this DE Handbook addresses.

Online moves in a time of crisis are really intended to help students continue their progress toward their goals with as little disruption as possible. As vital as this is, it should not be confused with optimal online teaching and learning.

Please click on the tabs below to move through each element of this topic. The total reading time for the material in this page is about 20 minutes, but it is full of links to external resources that could require significant amounts of time, depending on your needs and interests.

Preparing in Advance
Taking Classroom Activities Online
Considerations When Shifting Online

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This section is intended to be considered in advance of any official decision to shift instruction online, to help faculty who may be interested in being more prepared for the possibility, both to connect with key resources and to work with their students to be ready before a shift is forced upon them. If you get a bit overwhelmed by all the possible tools to learn listed below, and/or really aren't sure where you ought to be focusing, you might skip ahead and review the different online approaches matched with what you might have done in the classroom.

Preparing Your Students Before the Crisis Moment

Before it actually happens, help your students to be prepared for the possibility of a campus closure or other instructional disruption:

Preparing Yourself Before the Crisis Moment

...to use Canvas for content, communication, and assessment

If you don’t already use Canvas much, consider:

...to use Zoom for live online interaction

If you think you may want to offer live online teaching, class meetings, and/or office hours, the best tool for this is Zoom. Zoom allows you to share your screen; use an interactive whiteboard; communicate via audio, video, and text; and more. You can share session recordings to ensure that students who can't participate live still can benefit from it, and recordings are auto-captioned.

Every faculty and staff member has access to Zoom through LATTC - this will ensure that your usage is not limited and you have access to all of Zoom’s features.

First integrate Zoom within Canvas
Learn how to use Zoom and all its features

...to record and share lectures

If you think you may want to record and post lectures, screencasts, or other multimedia content:

Canvas Studio, Yuja, and Zoom are built into Canvas and can record your material and include the required captioning.
Do some practicing with your tool of choice
Canvas Studio and Zoom both record “to the cloud”, allowing you to simply link to the video in your Canvas class. It's a good idea to back them up in your 3C Media Solutions or YouTube accounts, then get a link to add into your class.
Captioning is a legal requirement - Canvas Studio, Yuja, YouTube, and Zoom all auto-caption your recordings and allow you to easily edit captions to perfect them. 3C Media Solutions in the past allowed faculty to request professional captioning for your uploaded videos, but the rules for what they will caption have become more complex. We may have access to other captioning systems in the future.

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Please note that when preparing a fully online class, what's outlined below does not represent a recommended strategy for comprehensive course design. The online modality offers different opportunities for teaching and learning, inviting a rethinking of your instructional approach. However, in a crisis where there is little time for redesign, choosing approaches such as those below is likely the clearest path to instructional continuity through remote instruction. Above all, keep it simple for yourself and your students. Have compassion and flexibility as you and your students work through this.

Shifting Classroom Activities to Remote Instruction

Every credit and non-credit class at LATTC automatically has a Canvas "shell" available, and students are automatically updated from PeopleSoft into Canvas. Use the table below to consider how you might reproduce what you would have done in the classroom, online using Canvas and/or Zoom. This table presumes a basic familiarity with Canvas and Zoom. If you need to back up a bit and learn more Canvas and Zoom fundamentals, see the previous section. For more general advice about shifting online in a time of crisis, you can skip ahead.

**Remote Instruction activities approximating classroom-based instruction**
If in class you would have	Online you can	Resources to learn more
Conducted a lecture	Hold a live Zoom session that’s also recorded Post screencasts that you create Post videos of yourself teaching in a classroom or a classroom-like space Post PowerPoint or other resources along with explanatory notes and/or audio or video explanations	How to use Zoom Recording with: Canvas Studio, Yuja, and Zoom Uploading and linking to files in Canvas
Held a structured class discussion or an open-ended Q&A session	Use Canvas discussion board (student responses can be audio or video as well as text) Use the Canvas Studio discussion tool to have students respond directly to a video Have a general Canvas discussion open for anything students might want to share/ask about Hold a live Zoom session for questions	Create a Canvas Discussion Adding Comments to a Canvas Studio video
Divided students into groups for activities	Use Canvas groups to break up the class for group discussions Use a Google doc (Canvas Collaboration) to allow students to collaboratively construct and share knowledge Provide a Zoom room where student groups could meet live online, and/or have students meet in Zoom and then send them into separate breakout rooms	Automatically create Canvas Groups Create Google Docs Collaboration in Canvas Zoom Breakout Rooms
Held small group or individual conferences with students	Have students turn in drafts through Canvas and use the audio or video feedback tools. Have students respond directly to your feedback and make it a conversation. Use Canvas’s Calendar tool to enable students to schedule meetings with you Use Zoom to hold live small group or 1-1 meetings	How to leave feedback comments Add a Scheduler appointment group in Calendar
Given a quiz or test	Use the Canvas quiz tool to administer the test online. If the college is still allowing campus access, you may be able to run your exams at your class time in your assigned room, even if the rest of the class has been moved online. If you are able to maintain a campus-based, physical test, consider flexibility for students for whom coming to campus becomes completely impractical. Perhaps offer an alternative assignment that can be turned in online. If a campus-based test is not possible and you are not comfortable shifting the test online, consider alternative approaches to assessment. Use Yuja Verity to monitor students during Canvas quizzes.	How to create a Quiz Using Yuja Verity with Canvas
Collected student assignments turned in on paper	Use the Canvas assignment tool to collect student work online. It’s highly recommended to go this route rather than collecting assignments via email. Paper-based work can be turned in by students scanning or taking pictures of their work and then submitting in Canvas.	How to create a Canvas Assignment How to set the details of a Canvas Assignment
Reminded students about upcoming class events, assignment due dates, etc.	Make sure your syllabus is posted in Canvas. Use Canvas announcements to help students get key reminders about your class. Make sure you set due dates on all assignments and activities to help students stay on track through Canvas. If you wish to use a more email-like communication, use the Canvas Inbox to send a message to your class; each student can reply to you for individual follow-up discussion. Make sure your students know about their Notifications	Upload your syllabus as a file and/or use the Canvas Syllabus Add a Canvas Announcement Understand difference between due dates and availability dates How to use Canvas Inbox Canvas notification settings for students
Passed out paper copies of readings or other course materials	Link to uploaded files or online materials in a Canvas page.	Uploading and linking to files in Canvas
Returned student assignments or provided an update on grades	Use the Canvas grades tool to maintain a grade book that students can check anytime. Provide feedback to students on individual assignments via the Canvas Speedgrader.	How to use the Canvas Gradebook How to leave feedback comments
Had students conference with each other to provide peer feedback on work	Use the Canvas peer review tool to automatically give students access to peer work with the ability to provide feedback	How to create a Canvas peer review Assignment
Had students present	Allow students to present live online via Zoom. Allow students to record presentations via Zoom, Canvas Studio, with their phone, or other tools, then to upload those to a Canvas assignment or discussion board.	How to use Zoom
Run a hands-on activity using specialized lab equipment and resources, unique technology, or other elements difficult to reproduce online	While it may be very difficult to adequately recreate the experience online, there may be some options to consider: Provide video demonstrations of what the students would have done If possible and supported by the college, acquire and share new resources providing a virtual environment simulating the on-campus experience (see resources at right) If students would have generated their own data sets for analysis, provide data and still have them do analysis	How to Quickly (and Safely) Move a Lab Course Online (3/17/20 article with numerous embedded links) Online Resources for Science Labs – spreadsheet of many resources, some free and some paid, organized by discipline LTI's (basically plug-in apps for Canvas) with some level of approval from the district on accessibility. Start here!
Reminded students about on-campus student support services	Depending on the status of the crisis, on-campus services may remain available. But even if they are, many students may not be willing or able to make it to campus due to the circumstances. Point students to the Canvas-based Student Support Hub (click the Student Support button on the left-hand global Canvas menu) for access to: Online tutoring Online writing center support Online library including 24x7 librarian chat Online counseling Online career center services Live chat with LATTC’s student help desk Include NetTutor in your Canvas course menu for seamless student access to online tutoring. Make sure students are aware of FAQs with details about additional student service availability by phone and online.	LATTC Student Services Add NetTutor to your Canvas class(es) by enabling it in the Navigation area of the Settings
Taken attendance	Online, "attendance" is different - in general simply logging in shouldn't be considered attending - students must engage in an academic activity to be considered as having "attended" your class. This means students must submit an assignment, discussion, or quiz -- preferably at least once a week. While you are encouraged to be flexible and compassionate in your expectations for student participation, you still need to report Last Day of Attendance if a student drops your class. If you run synchronous Zoom sessions you can get a report on who attended, if that is important. But it is highly recommended to not require live student attendance in synchronous sessions.	More details about tracking attendance online Zoom meeting reports
Gone on a field trip, attended a public event, or had your class do some service learning	Probably best not to do these kinds of things. Check with your department chair or dean if you're not sure whether the college or community has placed restrictions on this kind of activity. Consider whether it's possible to have students do a "virtual field trip" using web resources.
Provided instruction with accommodations for a student with a disability	Do just about anything listed above, though it will be critical to be especially attentive to accessibility requirements and to engage DSPS in support Be sure to make it clear to your students that if any of your course resources/activities are inaccessible, that they should let you know immediately and you will work with DSPS to remediate it or provide an alternative ASAP.	LATTC Disabled Students Office Tips for Creating Accessible Content

Super-minimal approach: Use email -- preferably the Canvas Inbox

If you have very little experience with Canvas and do not wish to do the kinds of things described above, the most straightforward alternative is to use email. Some caveats to this approach:

Students are notorious for not checking email; ideally you would have prepared them ahead of time to be aware of this strategy.
Some students may not have updated their email in PeopleSoft to the one they most frequently check since their original registration with LATTC. Encourage them to do so!
You should use your official LATTC email address, not an external address.
The amount of emails you receive could get a bit overwhelming.
FERPA restricts what you are allowed to send over email, including assignment feedback and grades.
You could use PeopleSoft to send emails out to all students in a particular class, but some of the limitations given above make this less than optimal.

Instead of PeopleSoft, use the Canvas Inbox tool to send messages to your class. Canvas messaging sends both to the email registered in PeopleSoft as well as to the recipient's Canvas Inbox. The Canvas Inbox will make it much easier for you to track and organize messages you receive from students. Students also wouldn't be dependent upon checking their email - they would also be able to see the messages in Canvas. The emails could include assignments, links to resources, and so on. Students would send you individual emails with their questions, as well as with their completed assignments. Due to FERPA restrictions, you would need to find another way to provide students with assignment feedback and their class progress/grade than sending emails. Options could be tricky - this is another reason to strongly consider at least a minimal use of Canvas - because then you can also use the Gradebook tool.

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Teaching and learning online, especially in a time of crisis, is not just about shifting to a new set of tools and modes of interaction. Please think through some of the concerns and strategies provided below.

Be Flexible and Compassionate

Students may have new demands placed upon them by their work, family, or other situations, or they may be directly affected by the larger issue (whether fire, pandemic, or other major disruption).
Not all students may have easy access to reliable technology to continue completing class work. Even if the campus remains open with computer labs available, some students may have life circumstances that make it hard to take advantage of this. Make sure you help students become aware of technology loan options the college may provide.
Even if they have access, not all students may be comfortable with completing class activities online. Provide as much guidance as you can through announcements, screencasts, and embedded directions, and also be sure to point students toward the tech support available to them. If you know that a majority of your students are not experienced with online learning technologies, try to minimize the number of new tools you introduce. Be sure students are aware of the Tech Help button at bottom left in Canvas.
Some students may rely on smartphones to access your class, even more so if access to campus computer labs is not available. To the extent that you can, try to provide material that will work for students in that format.
Consider including a “course forum” discussion board where students can freely share concerns, support one another, and share tips and strategies for coping with the changes - from technological to emotional to time-management.
Connect students to college resources that remain available on campus and/or online. At minimum, point students to the resources available through the Student Support Hub in Canvas. If the college is continuing to provide on-campus support services, please help to ensure that students are aware of this.

Online is Different, So Be Aware

Navigation within an online class can be one of the most important factors for student success. Faculty new to teaching online can underestimate the difficulty in keeping things organized and intuitive. Consistency and clarity are very important. Providing explicit instructions to students about where to find things, and/or demonstrations such as videos of you navigating the class in Student View, can be extremely important.
An online class in the California Community Colleges requires interaction between each student and the instructor, as well as among students. In a stop-gap move from the classroom to online, you are likely to emphasize providing instructional content and requiring students to independently complete work, which makes sense … but every bit of connection and personal presence you can provide online will make a difference for many students.
An online class is typically arranged with a weekly structure, with due dates occurring either weekly or bi-weekly. Students often wait until the last minute to complete work, and typically have questions at that time; consider placing due dates on days/times where you are most available to help students, and where students may have access to additional online support such as online tutoring. Also, consider intermediate due dates for some work rather than having all work for a given time period due at the end of that time period. At the same time, remember the section above - the structure you provide will be helpful to most students, but flexibility is also advised.
Online pedagogy often places a greater emphasis on more frequent formative, low-stakes assessments. While this is not easily implemented in a stop-gap move to online, do consider ways to keep your students engaged and on track if your class has relatively few, high-stakes assessments. At the same time, maintain a clear focus on the course outcomes; avoid “busy work”.
Typically, online class designers think of the entire class as "open book/open resources." Quizzes can still be useful (quizzes that can be taken multiple times often lead to better student learning), but if high-stakes objective testing is a big part of your course structure, you may need to rethink your assessment approach, if you are not able to continue to hold exams on campus. If the campus remains open, you may be able to offer exams on campus even when you've moved the rest of your class online.
Online classes are expected to be fully compliant with accessibility regulations. In a stop-gap move from classroom to online, this may not be easily achievable, but if you have students in your class who require accommodation, this will be critical.

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