We found 353 results that contain "online"

This article is a component of the Resources for Teaching After Crisis playlist. Trauma Informed Distance Learning: A Conversation with Alex Shevrin Venet 
Lunch & learn webinar hosted by the University of Vermont’s Tarrant Institute for Innovative Education where Alex Shevrin Venet responds to questions submitted by attendees. [55 minute video and full transcript]
Trauma-informed recommendations for how educators can support students, prioritizing predictability, flexibility, connection, and empowerment. Advice for admins, teachers, educator self-care and boundaries, equitable course practices, and importance of connecting to colleagues. Context is synchronous online pandemic distance learning (2020).

Security
It's important to safeguard your personal computers, mobile phones, tablets, and other devices.
Computer Best Practices

Make sure your personal firewall is turned on.

Learn more about configuring Windows firewalls and MacOS X firewalls.




Perform regular operating system, software, and app updates. These updates often include security patches.

Learn more about Windows and MacOS X operating system updates.
Learn more about enabling automatic Windows software updates.
For questions and concerns related to your operating system, contact the IT Service Desk at (517) 432-6200




Install antivirus and antispyware software. Also consider anti-malware.

Schedule daily antivirus updates and scans of your computer and mobile devices.
Learn more about recommended downloads and patches.
Antivirus and antispyware software can be purchased for your computer at the MSU Tech Store at an educational discount by emailing techstore@msu.edu.




Upgrade to the latest version of your browser and take advantage of the security features available.

Some browser security features include site pinning, safe browsing, and auto updates. These features can protect against phishing and malware attacks.
Investigate the built-in security features on your mobile devices.
Learn more about security features in Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and Chrome.



SecureIT
MSU IT continuously works to keep the community safe and connected, but sound cybersecurity practices are everyone’s responsibility. Educate yourself on safe computing, data care, and other information security resources at secureit.msu.edu.
 
Please report security incidents and forward suspicious emails targeting the MSU community to abuse@msu.edu. Contact MSU IT for questions or concerns: Call 517-432-6200 or 1-844-678-6200, email ithelp@msu.edu, or chat go.msu.edu/itchat.

Topic Area: Online Teaching & Learning
Presented By: Angela Wholehan, Michelle Markstrom
Abstract:
Laboratory classes are arguably one of the most difficult courses to transfer online - key hands-on experiences are inevitably lost in the process. However, all is not necessarily lost! With some creative thinking, a meaningful instructional experience can still be provided! This presentation will focus on how a core introductory laboratory course in the Biomedical Laboratory Diagnostics program was adapted into an online course during the pandemic while managing to maintain student learning and engagement. This course is an essential component of our program, as it connects students with key skills and disciplines of laboratory medicine, allowing them to begin to plan their future career paths. Strategies discussed will include the use of online simulations, such as Labster, images for laboratory result interpretation, recorded videos of instructors performing laboratory activities, allowing for students to collect and evaluate real data, and opportunities to connect concepts and methods to real-world applications. The last point was achieved through inviting weekly visitors from our robust pool of alumni to discuss how they applied their BLD degree (including key concepts introduced in this course) to their career paths or advanced education. We will also discuss student feedback that we received from these experiences.

Earlier this year, I posted on the Hub blog about our experience working with faculty to put their courses online. I shared an infographic of two case studies of how faculty had decided to build their online courses. 
 

Having conversations online can be difficult, let alone teaching, so make sure you're patient with yourself and others. It can be difficult to miss out on non-verbal cues and tone when we're not talking with one another face to face. That said, there are some best practices for keeping your digital conversation productive. Check out this guide for more on online etiquette or "netiquette"!
 
 

 
Facilitation skills are important for teaching adults and leading productive meetings. Facilitative leadership helps groups reach consensus, make decisions, and get things done. It embraces inclusive and creative thinking and discussions and helps ensure that all participants in a class, meeting, or workshop are engaged, collaborating, and contributing. It is about leading a participatory group process.
The videos below focus on facilitating online to help groups brainstorm ideas, define goals, and reach consensus.
Visit MSU Extension's Facilitative Leadership webpage to learn more.

MSU does not currently have a university-wide policy on cameras/videos (e.g. web cameras) for online learning. Much like attendance/participation policies, camera/video policy statements will be determined by individual instructors, departments, and programs. Instructors are responsible for communicating the individual course policy to students.
The following resource is provided to assist you in developing coherent policies on camera use in your course. Please adjust the guidance to fit your particular course context, but remember you must make allowances for certain circumstances that might be tied to connectivity issues or environmental circumstances. It is key that your desire for video-on participation be built on a foundation of inclusion and accessibility, pedagogy and design.   The information below is shared as key considerations for developing your course policy.  If you have specific questions about writing your course policy, please reach out to the Center for Teaching and Learning Innovation (CTLI).  
Benefits and Challenges of Webcams 
The use of webcams in live online meetings can add to the educational experience in many ways. Some of these include: 

Students working in groups 
Showing physical evidence or materials 
Proof of attendance 
Classes that focus on communication skills, performance, or physical movement 

Students may wish to keep their webcams off because: 

Their internet speed cannot support the use of streaming video. Bandwidth problems are real for many students regardless of their location 
They may have privacy concerns (e.g. roommates, children, or other family members in the background) 
Students may wish to keep their webcams off because leaving them on may reveal their exact geographical location or other unique identifying information to the rest of the class 
They may have a visually busy environment or otherwise distracting background that could detract from others’ ability to attend to class content 
They may have personal or environmental concerns that make sharing their likeness or their personal spaces problematic. Not all computers can replace backgrounds with virtual backdrops that would alleviate these concerns 
They may have a disability where the video feed will decrease their success in the course 
Students may not have a webcam on their computer. This item has not been a component of the university required laptop/desktop description. 

Educators should be aware of the privacy, hardware, software, disability, and equity concerns and only require the use of webcams or video feeds when the educational value of requiring video supersedes those concerns. In such instances, there may still be students whose specific disabilities preclude the use of webcams. The Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities will work to assist students who have gone through the proper accommodation request process and for whom the use of webcams is not possible. Instructors should also keep in mind that the accommodations process can be a time consuming and expensive one; and not all students may be able to engage in it. In addition, disabilities, temporary or otherwise, can manifest at any time. These factors should be considered when you determining the policy for your course.
Best Practices for Developing Video Conference Policies 
In general, online learners experience “Zoom fatigue” and extra cognitive loads when it comes to learning (McCabe, et al., 2023 & Fauville, et al, 2021) For reasons of equity and respect for privacy, students generally should not be required to turn on their webcams for the full duration of all online class sessions. The literature around camera-on requirements promoting learning is scarce. Waluyo and Wangdi (2023) found that classroom dynamics, classroom exhaustion and participation, physical appearance and background, unrelated physical activity, distracting behaviors, and technical issues all played a role in student-camera behavior. It is also important to note that there are many ways to - through pedagogical design - effectively build a sense of belonging and classroom engagement. If you’re interested in more on classroom engagement strategies, you can schedule a consultation with a member of the CTLI team or check out CTLI’s upcoming events! 
Faculty might have pedagogical reasons to ask students to turn on cameras when teaching online, but educators should consider whether asking students to turn on their webcam is necessary to accomplish a learning objective and should explain to students the educational reason for their request, allowing the student to make their own, informed decision to do so based on their circumstances and without incurring penalties of any kind. 
In short, the default recommended practice would be to allow students to keep their webcams off, with certain learning goals and instructional practices making it justifiable for the educator to ask students to turn on their webcams if they are willing and able, after receiving an explanation for the request. The only exception to this choice would be during assessment activities that require* the use of a webcam.  
*Any webcam mandates need to be clearly communicated in advance of the first-expected use to allow students adequate time to plan and prepare their environment. 
Relevant MSU Documents and Policies 
Restrictions on instructors requiring students to turn on their webcams is supported by MSU’s Student Rights and Responsibilities, Article 2.II.B 8 (The student has a right to protection against improper disclosure of his/her education records and personal information such as values, beliefs, organizational affiliations, and health) and Article 2.III.B 10 (The student and the faculty share the responsibility for maintaining professional relationships based on mutual trust and civility). 
In light of the Family Educational Records Protections Act (FERPA), MSU’s Office of General Council recently put together this guide addressing how to properly deal with files of recorded synchronous sessions containing video feed.  References & Further Readings 
McCabe, J. A., Banasik, C. S., Jackson, M. G., Postlethwait, E. M., Steitz, A., & Wenzel, A. R. (2023). Exploring perceptions of cognitive load and mental fatigue in pandemic-era zoom classes. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000347  
Fauville, Geraldine and Luo, Mufan and Queiroz, Anna C. M. and Bailenson, Jeremy N. and Hancock, Jeff, Nonverbal Mechanisms Predict Zoom Fatigue and Explain Why Women Experience Higher Levels than Men (April 5, 2021). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3820035  or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3820035   
Waluyo, Budi & Wangdi, Thinley. (2023). Reasons and Impacts of Camera On and Off during Synchronous Online English Teaching and Learning: Insights from Thai EFL Context. CALL-EJ. 24. 179-198.  Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/367384842_Reasons_and_Impacts_of_Camera_On_and_Off_during_Synchronous_Online_English_Teaching_and_Learning_Insights_from_Thai_EFL_Context  
https://courses.cs.washington.edu/courses/cse481p/23sp/readings/W6S2/four-causes-zoom-fatigue-solutions-VigneshRamachandran.pdf   
Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash 
 

Humanizing your Online Course is a Hybrid meeting happening on Zoom and on the MSU Campus in STEM 2202.
This workshop tackles the common time and energy challenges of fostering inclusivity in a virtual setting. You will have the tools to create an online space where students feel seen, heard, and valued. Join us for a lively discussion, real-world examples, and a look at innovative tech tools designed to help you connect with your students. Discover strategies for building a supportive online community, and learn how to engage with your students to foster their growth. Please feel free to peruse our working document here Humanizing your Online Course
Interested in enrolling in our workshop? enroll here Meeting Registration