In a lecture-based class, the instructor will typically prepare lecture slides and a handful of check-in activities with students to ensure that everyone is making sense of the content. After class, students may have practice sets or other homework to complete. Students in larger classes may also have the opportunity to attend office hours with a TA to ask questions and go over challenging material. 

How would this class format work online? Consider this possible model as a place to start: 

Lecture Video. Homework Quiz. Live Q&A Sessions.

Step 1: Create a module to contain all the reading, videos and activities for that class meeting. Make sure to name the module in a way that its contents are easily recognizable to students. Outline clearly for students the specific steps they will need to complete the activities in the class meeting. What will the need to watch? Read? Complete? Submit? Discuss? Etc.

Step 2: Build your video lectures using one of the lecture recording tools available at UMSL such as Panopto, Voicethread, or Kaltura. Add those lectures to your Canvas module
A couple of important tips for making educational videos"
  • Keep your lecture short (no longer than 10 minutes). It is okay to have multiple videos for one lecture.

  • Watch and listen to your first video to make sure that images and audio are clear and easy to see and understand.

  • If you are in the recording, find a location that is well-lit. However, you do not want the primary light source to be behind you.

  • Keep your videos short, 5-10 minutes at the most.

  • Use a headset or earbuds, or a stand-alone microphone, to increase sound quality.

  • Some instructors draft scripts before recording. If you do draft a script, consider providing it to the students as a supplement.

  • Students don’t generally mind if the production values aren’t perfect! If you occasionally say “um” or repeat a word, don’t feel you need to re-record.
Step 3: Create quizzes as comprehension-checks. If there are typically independent homework assignments after the lecture, giving students a way to check in and make sure that they are progressing on the homework can be useful. Create low-stakes comprehension checks in the form of quizzes to ensure that your students are getting what they need from the homework assignment. For this type of quiz, err on the side of shorter and lower stakes. This is not a test of student knowledge, just a check-in to let the instructor and student see progress. Pro tip: let students take the quiz multiple times - this practice encourages them to go back to the reading to learn any material that they didn't understand. Often textbook publishers have these questions ready for you to import into your course as test bank questions. These questions make excellent low-stakes quiz questions.

Step 4: Set up a Zoom room for office hours, TA session or other supplemental instructional session to answers students questions. Alternatively, you can also create a discussion forum called "Frequently Asked Questions" to provide a space for students to learn from each other.