As challenges from COVID-19 and other health and life concerns continue, we have begun to compile a list of quick tips and campus resources that instructors can use to help their students stay on track to have a successful semester. Below is our initial list of tips and resources to consider, and we welcome additional information as well. New tips and resources can be submitted to tli@utk.edu.
Tips & Resources for Helping Students Stay on Track
The following tips, resources, and practices can help students stay on track if they need to miss class due to illness.
- Recording Class Meetings: Instructors are encouraged to record their class meetings so that in-class activity can be viewed later by sick students, but instructors are not required to live-stream their courses. Visit OIT’s Creating Lecture Recordings webpage on how to do this effectively and share it with your students.
- Visualize Your Course Materials: Consider taking photos of formulas or notes on boards and sharing the images with students. For more information on effective ways to implement this in your class, visit OIT’s Visual Design for Instruction webpage.
- Use Canvas for Your Course: If you don’t already use Canvas, the university’s learning management software system, consider doing so because it will help your students gain access to classroom materials from anywhere. To learn more about how to structure your course in Canvas to increase student success, visit OIT’s webpage on how to Structure Your Canvas Course for Student Success.
- OIT’s Instructional Support Library: The Office of Information Technology (OIT) has a superb Instructional Support Library, filled with great ideas and resources to consider on many relevant topics such as Assessment & Academic Integrity, University Design for Learning, and other workshops and training opportunities.
- DSS’s Faculty & Staff Resources: The Division of Student Success has a fantastic webpage filled with resources to consider when seeking to help your students achieve their academic goals. Some of the topics listed include Academic Coaching, Tutoring, & Supplemental Instruction, 24/7 mental health and well-being concerns (865-974-HELP), and Transition Advising & Career Exploration. Visit DSS’s Faculty & Staff Resources webpage for more information.
- OLAP’s Teaching & Learning Resources: The Office of Online Learning & Academic Programs has several effective resources available to consider when seeking to plan, design, and teach online and hybrid courses. Visit their Online Teaching & Learning resource webpage for more information.
- UT Library Resources: The UT Libraries offer instruction and resources to support online and hybrid teaching, including self-paced tutorials, research guides for specific courses and subject areas, and live and recorded workshops on topics that include search tips and strategies and navigating databases and research tools. Visit their Teaching and Learning webpage to learn about requesting instruction, incorporating materials, and exploring librarian-created teaching tools
- Just in Time Teaching Tips: DSS & TLI have collaborated with several instructors across campus to develop the “Just in Time Teaching Tips” video library. Topics such as Scaffolded Grading, Effective Approaches to Labs, and Academic Integrity Tips are covered, amongst many others.
- Audio & Video Teaching Tips Library: TLI has begun to develop an Audio & Video Library of teaching tips for instructors who are often busy and on the go. This web resource is unique because it includes information that can be accessed both visually and audibly.