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In the remote asynchronous instructional mode, students and faculty use communication and collaboration tools at no scheduled meeting time.
Place: Room is not assigned. Communication and collaboration tools provided (Canvas, Kaltura, or other).
Time: Days and times are not assigned.
LionPATH Code: CW – COVID Web
Webinars
Webinars designed to provide critical information to faculty and staff about the remote asynchronous instructional mode.
Recorded Webinars
Academic Support Resources at Penn State Recorded February 15, 2021Adapting Assessments to Promote Academic Integrity Recorded February 01, 2021Designing Your Courses for Inclusion and Engagement Recorded January 20, 2021Why It Works
- accounts for COVID-19-related scheduling challenges many students face (e.g., family, work requirements)
- no backup plan needed if the pandemic worsens
- can work for students regardless of time zone — offers a flexible schedule
- student engagement is possible through threaded discussion boards, email, and other technologies that aren’t time-bound
Policies, Guidelines, and Documents
- Flexible Instruction Teaching Guide - This self-paced guide provides important resources for a move to the remote teaching environment.
- Guidance for Continuity of Teaching during a Change in Normal Campus Operations Due to Weather and Other Local Emergencies (DOC) - This document offers guidance about how courses in each COVID teaching mode will proceed during a change in campus operations due to weather or other local emergency circumstances.
- Instructor Guide for Upcoming Semester Course Planning - This guide is intended to help instructors prepare courses for the upcoming semester, given physically distanced and/or remote environments.
- Instructor Guide to Fall 2020 (DOC) - This guide was developed to provide instructors with a compilation of resources to help prepare for the semester and has been updated to include information about transitioning to remote instruction.
- Learning Design and Instructor Development Recommendations (DOC) - Recommendations from the learning design and instructor development teams regarding modes of instruction for fall 2020.
Frequently Asked Questions
Review the following frequently asked questions about remote asynchronous instruction. For additional information, read all frequently asked questions.
Remote Asynchronous Instruction
See University guidance on what to include in course syllabi about the mask requirement (PDF).
In addition, see Penn State syllabus requirements outlined in Faculty Senate Policy 43-00, including a number of example syllabus statements.
Be sure to check with your college or campus regarding locally mandated syllabus policies.
For this instructional mode, consider adding a brief description of how you will conduct class in this mode and your expectations for students’ participation. You might address questions like, should students be active in asynchronous discussion boards, should they pose questions to Q&A tools throughout the week, and will they need to respond to feedback that you provide them on individual assignments?
The Dutton e-Education website has examples of syllabi specifically for remote asynchronous courses.
Since students will be engaging and learning at different times, attendance will not be taken in remote asynchronous classes; if you want to document participation, consider the following options:
- Encourage participation by assigning students to comment on discussion boards.
- Create opportunities for peer to peer feedback on assignments.
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Resources for Enhancing Your Teaching
The following instructional resources have been curated by educational developers and instructional designers and reviewed by faculty throughout the University. They are offered in the spirit of support for instructors who need to learn teaching in new modalities or who want to enhance their teaching effectiveness in familiar modalities.
On-Demand Resources
These resources are for faculty who prefer to learn on their own, with a “give me the information and I’ll apply what works for me” approach.
- Teaching Guide for Faculty for Remote Asynchronous InstructionA comprehensive guide to asynchronous course design and management in Canvas, including how to integrate Zoom and Kaltura when designing for remote asynchronous instruction
- Remote Teaching and Assessment StrategiesSupport and guidance for remote teaching and assessment
- Faculty Self-Assessment for Online TeachingA quick assessment for faculty to reflect on their current preparedness to teach online with feedback to direct them to the best resources to meet individual needs
- Best Practices for Online Teaching13 best practices for remote asynchronous teaching
- How to Manage Your Online CourseA timeline for effective remote asynchronous course management
- Remote Teaching and Assessment StrategiesSupport and guidance for remote teaching and assessment
- Faculty to Faculty: What Works in Remote TeachingFaculty share their pedagogical strategies and lessons learned from transitioning to remote teaching.
Collaborative Resources
These resources are for those who prefer to talk with colleagues or someone with expertise in learning or course design.
- Schedule a ConsultationIndividual consultations with course liaisons or find your college or campus instructional designer
- Tech Tutors and Tech TAs1-on-1 personalized technology support by talented Penn State students
- Engaging Students Series: Blending Asynchronous and Synchronous TeachingA series of synchronous sessions focused on student engagement for each delivery mode
- Talk with a University LibrarianA synchronous chat to engage with University librarians
- Faculty Instructional ConsultantsContact any consultant or find your College or Campus Liaison
“Explore Links and the Web” Resources
These resources are for instructors who prefer to do their own web research, exploring links and making conceptual and practical connections.
- Penn State Weblearning @ Penn State – Templates, Tools, and Resources A collection of resources for all web-based courses at Penn State
- Finding Open Educational Resources (OER)A guide to finding and using OER for your courses
- Open at Penn StateA broader guide to affordable, discoverable, and equitable access to information, scholarly research, educational resources, and research data within the University community
- Remote Resources for Penn State Library UsersOnline librarian consultations and resources for remote teaching
- Accessibility at Penn StateA site explaining how to ensure web pages and digital documents can be made accessible for users with different disabilities
“Do a Deeper Dive” Resources
These resources are for those who prefer a directed and structured learning experience, either self-guided and/or instructor-led.
- Free OL Courses at wcfd.psu.eduThe OL series from World Campus Online Faculty Development includes over 17 self-directed and instructor-led courses ranging from 2 hours to 5 weeks on a variety of topics related to online teaching, pedagogy, Canvas, and course design.
- IT Learning and DevelopmentTechnology training for Canvas, Zoom, Kaltura and more