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    Getting Started

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    An online resource to assist Fordham Law Faculty with teaching remotely, whether that’s synchronous/asynchronous or both:

    The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that it is possible to engage and interact with students using technology, albeit a challenge at times, and a less than ideal replacement for face-to-face instruction. Fundamental to transitioning online must include basic course delivery vis-a-vis a course management platform like Blackboard or TWEN, along with an approach (async/sync) to deliver instruction and foster learning.

    With Blackboard, faculty members can take comfort knowing that the IT team has established a corresponding course site in Blackboard and enrolled the appropriate students. Not only can faculty choose to copy course materials from one term to another, but Blackboard sites make it easy for instructors to organize and share course materials, as well as a link to Zoom meetings and videos on YouTube/Echo360.

     

    TWEN, is in some ways, is an easier alternative to Blackboard. It allows instructors to post course materials, videos, create assignments, conduct quizzes, set up sign-up sheets, and much more. To use TWEN, instructors must first create a course and invite students.

    Using asynchronous methods to engage students is nothing new. Instructors have traditionally relied on reading assignments and homework. But professors can broaden the scope to include videos, audio clips, podcasts, polls, and discussion threads. Creating short videos (3-6 mins long) is a great way to break up long lectures and make the information digestible. Perhaps add a poll or two, along with a discussion forum to foster collaboration and information sharing.

    By now, everyone has experienced Zoom in one way or another. Zoom meetings provide a means for interaction to occur at a set time in a shared space online. It is the closest thing to an in-person interaction where everyone can see and hear each other while allowing instructors to share a presentation, use a whiteboard, and poll students.