Setting Student Expectations

Students need to be made aware of any class cancellation policies. It needs to be clear to them what the expectation is under these circumstances, and they also need to be familiar with the resources that may be implemented in lieu of a face-to-face class meeting. Here are a few critical steps to preparing student expectation in the instance of class cancellation:

• Stress to students how you will contact them (campus email, Canvas Announcement, alternate email, all of the above, etc.)
• Add course policies to your syllabus on how you will continue instruction in the event of emergencies, disasters, class cancellations, travel, etc.
• Add a contingency plan to your attendance policy allowing for emergencies and disasters accommodating individual student situations.

When the unexpected arises, there are many ways to reach out to students to ensure the continuity of instruction. However, because of the fact that there are simply SO MANY modes of communication in today’s world of technology, the method of communication for the course needs to be made clear from day one. Here are some tips for preparing your students:

• Ask students for alternate email addresses and contact information.
  • Send students a welcome email that contains your contact information. Tell students to save this email in a safe place. Maintain a copy for your own records. This ensures that you have students’ email information, and students have your contact information.
  • Send a test email to your students’ alternate email addresses. This test message will help your students identify problems with spam filters or firewalls that may block your emails. Suggest to students that they add your primary and secondary email addresses to their approved recipient list.
• In the instance of cancellation, immediately communicate to your students that class will continue and they are expected to keep up with the course work.
• Prepare a draft communication to send to your students referring to your syllabus contingency plan if university closure is imminent.
• Conduct practice drills which will help you prepare to access all vital university systems from home.
• Build ‘drills’ into assignments (ex. have students log into library databases from off campus).

One of the major concerns students have when a class is made up online, is how it will effect their grade. It is critical that you make clear both grade implications and deadlines. Here are a few tops to consider:

• Make deadlines clear. Are they expected to log in and complete all of the work during the time slot of the regularly scheduled course, or are they going to have extended time to review the resources and submit an assignment? There are many varying ways to think about making up a face-to-face course through online assignments, but the system you elect needs to be made clear to the students in advance of a course cancellation.
• Clarify if the work students do online will be assessed for credit. If so, let the students know specifically where this assignment falls within the grading structure of the course. For example, will the work be counted for course participation points? Will completing the work be counted as part of attendance? Will there be a formally graded assignment such as a quiz, test or essay?

While many students are very tech savvy, some of the tools you may elect to use to assist with instructional continuity may be unfamiliar to them. Additionally, being asked to produce academic-level work in an online environment might be new to some students, thus making it essential that your expectations are clear. Here are some tips for ensuring that students are prepared in advance of a course cancellation:

• Make usage and nettiqutte expectations clear. Students are not always accustomed to distinguishing between the casual communication style they use with friends and family, and the academic communication skills expected in college. This is especially relevant if you plan to implement an activity that requires students to peer edit, respond to each other’s ideas, or write collaboratively. Students need to know how to do this in a way that is respectful of their peers and coveys an academic tone.
• Demonstrate the technology in class. At the start of the semester, take a moment to introduce the students to any technology you will be using should a cancellation occur. For example, if you intend to post assignments and readings to Canvas, review where to find these resources within the course site.
• Do a test run in advance. At the start of the semester it is a good idea to produce an online assignment that the students must complete. This will allow them to practice using any of the required technology, and will also allow you to see if there are any issues that you might need to adjust for.