(for thought)
Thanks to those of you who attended last week's workshop on how to be effective and inclusive in mixed-mode teaching. For those who were unable to attend, we hope this video recording of the workshop will be helpful.
You'll find this video and other resources in support of the workshop on the CAT+FD wiki.
Thanks to Janice Florent for her annual post on instructional continuity and disaster preparedness. Since we'll be nearing the height of hurricane season in a couple of weeks, her post is quite timely. I would also ask that you keep in mind the practice of "transparency" and perhaps consider tweaking some of the instructions for assignments that you may have to post online in case of disaster, especially if you're currently teaching the course face-to-face.
Many Xavier faculty have already been introduced to "transparency" in CAT+ workshops, and several faculty already practice "transparency" as they build their assignments, but perhaps don't associate what they do with this current initiative. To learn more about TILT (Transparency in Learning and Teaching) please visit the website: https://www.unlv.edu/provost/teachingandlearning. For now, I would just like to share the following handout which asks instructors questions about their assignments and the accompanying instructions in order to help make it as clear as possible for the students. For purposes of transferring your course to an online environment in case of a disaster, this worksheet can help you better explain the assignments to students whose faces you can no longer see in a physical classroom, nor whose questions can be quickly answered for all to hear. Remember also that students will have additional stress during the disaster, so further clarification of assignments would be most helpful.
This checklist as well as examples of transparent assignments may be found at the previously mentioned URL. Please also feel free to contact CAT+ for additional help and information.