Online Course Toolkit
UNDER CONSTRUCTION: This article is incomplete and under construction. Direct questions to TLT (tlt@winona.edu). |
Your online teaching toolbox
Winona State University supports many tools for facilitating online instruction. Assuming you are pressed for time and already know how to use common Microsoft Office applications like Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint, focus your attention on the following tools:
Your networked devices
For many of you, this means your laptop. If you have a Winona State University laptop through the eWarrior Digital Life and Learning Program, you already have a device capable of preparing and delivering high-quality online learning experiences. While you are off-campus, it's essential that you apply all HP Elitebook and Macbook Pro patches and updates. If you are using a personally-owned computer, compare it with our current models and contact TLT (tlt@winona.edu) if you have any questions about its capabilities. Your phone can also be a powerful tool for communicating with your online students and handling some class management tasks. There are some very helpful phone and tablet apps that can make your job easier.
Peripherals
If you are teaching on your laptop from your home office, you might consider acquiring some peripheral equipment, including an external monitor and a mouse. A docking station is helpful if you need more ports for your peripherals and like to work from multiple locations. Other peripherals are more course-specific, including document cameras, graphics tablets, and external microphones and webcams. Printers are not as important as they used to be, as most student work is submitted and evaluated online. However, the ability to print and scan documents can be helpful for certain instructional activities. Explore the many alternatives to printing before investing in a printer for your home office.
The Internet
Reliable access to the Internet is critical when delivering online courses. While connected to the Internet using your laptop or phone, check your Internet speed using a tool like the Spectrum Speed Test. Most high-speed home Internet plans provide around 7 to 50 Mbps speeds for uploads and downloads. Your upload speed is typically much slower than your download speed. Working with email, Brightspace, and Zoom usually requires very little bandwidth and acceptable performance may be possible at speeds that dip below 1 Mbps depending on the nature of the activity. On a slow Internet connection, you will notice a lag when uploading large files (e.g., a video or big document) and you may experience some degradation of Zoom audio and video performance. Consult our recommendations for low-bandwidth teleworking and contact TLT (tlt@winona.edu) if you have any questions or concerns about your access to the Internet.
Email, announcements, and text messages
The most important tools in your toolbox are those that help you communicate with your online students. Maintaining teacher presence in your courses should be your top priority. Our supported email system at Winona State University is Microsoft Outlook. Most students access their Outlook mailbox online through their Microsoft Office 365 web portal, while most instructors use the Outlook application installed on their computers. You can also access your campus email on your phone or tablet using the Outlook mobile app. To send email to your entire class list, you can use a Contact Group in Outlook or the Brightspace Email Tool. You can post announcements to your Brightspace course homepages using the Announcements Tool and you can text your students using Microsoft Teams.
Brightspace
D2L Brightspace is a suite of tools used to support online instruction. This learning management system (LMS) includes tools for organizing learning materials, communicating with students, gathering assignments, administering assessments, and posting grades. You might use some or all of these tools to develop an engaging online learning experience. If you are using Brightspace already in your onsite courses, it may be easy enough to simply expand your usage by adding more content, activities (e.g., discussions, quizzes), and structure. Access Brightspace using the web address, the link on the Winona State University website, or the bookmark in Chrome. Activate your Brightspace courses when you are ready for your online students to access them. (There is more information on Teams below.)
Zoom
Zoom is a web conferencing tool that you can use to host online meetings with students. You can meet as an entire class, individually, or in small groups. Use your laptop's camera and microphone to communicate and share your screen with your students. Students can also share their screens with you. Meetings can be recorded and shared online. Zoom supports polling, voting, breakout groups, and text messaging. Access your Zoom host dashboard to activate your account and schedule meetings.
MediaSpace
Kaltura MediaSpace is an online video storage and streaming service where you can produce, upload, and share your instructional videos with your students. Students can also use MediaSpace to share their videos with you. MediaSpace comes with a simple video production tool called Kaltura Capture that you can install on your laptop and use to capture audio and video input (e.g., screen, webcam). Videos uploaded to your MediaSpace account are captioned automatically. Access your MediaSpace account to activate it, upload videos, access Kaltura Capture, and share videos.
Teams
Microsoft Teams is an application that can be used to support collaboration. You can create your own class Teams site, add your students as members, and configure it to meet your needs. It includes a text messaging feature and is well-suited for supporting group projects and teamwork, something that Brightspace lacks. Access Teams online or using the desktop or mobile app.