Remote Teaching

In response to COVID-19, the Community College of Denver is offering a variety of course formats, including Remote Synchronous and Remote Asynchronous modalities. Detailed information can be found on the Learning Options page.

Look for the latest updates, announcements on the D2L home page.

The TLC team is here for you. Look on this website for upcoming webinars, professional development opportunities, and tutorials and videos.

The three primary tools to use for Remote Teaching are D2L, Webex, and YuJa. Your online course is housed in the D2L learning management system platform. Webex is your synchronous communication tool, and YuJa is a video creation platform for you and your students to create and share videos in your D2L course.

D2L

Desire 2 Learn (D2L) is our learning management system where the online courses reside. Each course has a template, or shell, where faculty can upload their teaching materials. Your students will be enrolled in the course when they register for classes.

The shell has several parts to it where faculty and students interact with the content and each other, where you and your students can have discussions, upload assignments, and take quizzes/exams, and where you can post announcements and post grades.

How do I access my D2L course?

  • All of the courses are assigned a separate online course shell. Access to the class is available on the College portal. While the course may or may not have course content, you will see that the students who are currently in your class are listed under the “Class List” tab.
  • Go to:
    • CCD's D2L homepage,
    • Enter your Username (S#),
    • Enter your Password,
    • On the homepage, you should see your course.

Consider self-enrolling in the ToolkitNTutoring D2L courses available on the D2L homepage. For more information, check out our D2L Videos and Guides for Faculty!

Webex

Webex is our online meeting platform. Webex allows you to engage in live online conversations with your students using audio, video, screen share, whiteboard, and chat features. Visit the WebEx homepage and log in with your S-Number and network password. From there, you can download the essential software application and create future meeting links.

YuJa

YuJa is our platform for faculty and students to create and upload voiceover PowerPoints, record mini-lectures, videos to be shared as a link or embedded into D2L. YuJa is available through your D2L course, found under the Extras Tab. Tutorials are available on the Yuja Videos and Guides for Faculty page.

Preparation for the Semester

D2L Course Checklist

  • Updated Syllabus Posted in Content
  • Welcome Message in Announcements includes:
    • Textbook Information
    • Expected workflow for each week
    • Clearly identified Week 1 assignment
    • Best way to reach you and expected response time
    • Proctoring requirements for assessments (if applicable)
    • Technology requirements
    • Available resources for students (F2F & online tutoring, Auraria Library, etc.)
  • Updated Instructor Widget
  • All modules in the content are complete and updated for the new term
  • Discussions, assignment folders, and quizzes have appropriate start dates
    • All dates updated for the new semester
    • All dates align with module start dates
    • Nothing due before the official start date of the class
  • Announcement items copied from previous semesters are updated
    • The “Always show start date” option is disabled
    • Or, start and end dates are the current semester

Mairi-Jane Fox teaches international students synchronously, introduces transitioning classes to a synchronous tech-delivered classroom during this pandemic. She uses Zoom but these tools are mostly available to you in Webex. She recommends structure, thoughtful use of technology, staying calm, and connected to your students.

How do I communicate with my students?

You can still use email and other tools you are already using. Don’t assume students are on email all the time – or at all. Explicitly establish a shared expectation about when and where students should check for announcements or other communications. You may also create a Q&A Forum within the Discussion Forum.

Do I need to change my syllabus?

Reviewing your syllabus through the lens of remote teaching is a critical first step. Will the students be able to meet the objectives given the current assignments? It is ideal to not change the syllabus, as it is what the students registered for. If you are unsure about how to meet your current objectives in this new mode of delivery, reach out to the TLC team or visit other resources on this website.

When and how will we meet as a class?

You can continue to meet at your scheduled class time. Clear communication about attendance and participation levels is important. Use WebEx to meet synchronously with your class. Post your WebEx room link in the syllabus, post it in an announcement and on your Instructor Information widget in D2L.

WebEx Tips

Clarify the use of video, having to turn on the camera, and if audio-only is okay. Encourage students to arrive early to test their equipment and connection.

  • Share Screen: With WebEx, you simply share your screen so students can see a presentation, website, Excel spreadsheet, or any program on your computer. On your first slide, display an agenda at the start of the class session so that students know what to expect of the shared time together. Use slides to display discussion questions visible to students who may have a slow Internet connection or who may struggle to hear the audio for the initial question. Use the Whiteboard as you would in the classroom.
  • Record Your Meetings: Record WebEx sessions so students can review them as they need to.
  • Chat: Use the Chat feature to encourage student engagement, ask questions, and to share links and resources. You can use Chat to troubleshoot technical problems. This might be a space for you as the instructor or for fellow students to work together to problem-solve. This may be an opportunity to assign a student to a special role as an assistant, especially if you have students eager to help with the technical aspect of things.
  • Attendance using Chat: You can ask your students to post a question in the Chat. Use the Chat as attendance/participation by saving the Chat to review later.

How do I improve my presence in my online class?

These are some simple practices available to promote instructor presence in an online course.

  • Record a short video introduction using YuJa.
  • Post announcements at least once a week highlighting course content and assignment reminders.
  • Participate in online discussions by asking intriguing questions, providing your own insights, and encouraging student participation.
  • Provide detailed specific feedback on course assignments.
  • Reach out to struggling students.
  • Consider holding virtual Open Office Hours each week as a "drop-in" time to get to know your students.

How do I keep my students engaged with the course?

  • Create opportunities to allow students to engage with you, the content, and each other. Create activities using:
  • Small groups
  • Current events, debates, Ted Talks, movie clips
  • Student presentations
  • Field Trips. Record yourself or meet your students with your phone or laptop at a relevant location. Take your students “on a tour”
  • Flipped classroom
  • Moderate a discussion in WebEx, “call on” a student with a comment to speak, to help them break into the conversation. Consider making discussion questions available in advance in D2L so that students can access the questions if screen sharing does not work. If sharing slides in advance to D2L, share as PDFs, as students will be able to access the material on their phones.
  • Guest Speaker: Bring in an expert in your field to your class through WebEx! Have your students come prepared with questions.
  • Host synchronous sessions in WebEx informal (lectures and group work) or informal (Virtual Office Hours and open topic chats) formats.
  • Use YuJa to create videos. Both you and your students can create and post videos in your D2L course.

What should I do to ease my students’ transition to remote learning?

Provide a way for students to share their experiences of the first few online sessions.  Have your first "meeting" in WebEx set as an informal, non-graded meeting so that you and your students can try out the technology and work out any technical problems without stress or fear. Consider adding a discussion board thread for students to share experiences during the disruption.

What do I do about my exams? What if a closed-book exam?

Online exams can be created in D2L. If yours is a closed book exam, you may be interested in using the lockdown browser option. You may also add an academic integrity question/statement at the beginning of an exam requiring students to indicate that they agree to the terms and conditions of the exam. In addition, you can set a time limit for taking the exam.

Does accessibility apply to Teaching and Learning Remotely?

Yes. Regardless of how our learning is being presented, we want to make sure it is accessible to everyone. If you are currently teaching in the classroom, your content and handouts should be accessible to all students.

 How do students complete courses that require in-person presentations?

Using WebEx, students can share their screens and present their work just as they would do in the classroom.

Where do I go for support?

Contact the TLC team for support at TLC@ccd.edu