Develop an Orientation Module

All courses that have materials in Canvas --on ground, hybrid or online-- should have an orientation module. M50 course orientation modules are required and are usually called Getting Started. No matter what you call your orientation module, it should contain all the tools students need to success in your course, like your syllabus. Having materials online gives you the opportunity to highlight important items so that they are more likely to be seen by your students. In addition to your syllabus, your orientation module should contain information on special technical skills & resources needed for your course, explictly state feedback expectations and policies, and special online office hours. We make this simple for M50 courses by providing a template that can be edited. All courses are welcome to use the M50 template. Just contact um3d@memphis.edu and ask.

Identify Technical Skills & Resources

Why is this important?

Have you ever had a student perform badly on an assignment not because they didn't know the material, but because they didn't know the technology? Often, we assume students know technology because they are, well, students. Aren't students supposed to be trend setters? But this isn't always the case. If your assignments rely on specific technology in order to be completed, make sure you give your students time and opportunity to try out the technology, without penalties.

This part of the syllabus is where students will first hear about the special requirements. You still need to provide students with the opportunity to practice. You may wish to provide practice opportunities in Getting Started or just when they are needed within the course.

Technical Skills and Resources: Quick Tips

• Give students low stakes assessments where they try out the technology; for instance, an ungraded but required "Getting to Know You" discussion board teaches students how to use discussion boards with little risk.
• Find or create your own how to videos that explain exactly how to use your special technology.
• Ensure your students understand which email system to use by asking them to email you from that system.
• Technology doesn't have to be high-tech. Do you teach a course that uses special or industry-specific tools? Give your students a simple assignment to prove that they know how to use it. Use that simple assignment as the basis for another assignment (scaffolding) so it doesn't feel like busy work. 

Identify Expectations for Feedback & Communication

Why is this important?

Communication is at the heart of all faculty/student interactions. Students need to feel and know their instructor is available to them. This doesn't mean that you need to be available 24/7! It does, however, mean online course instructors needs to keep office hours, just as they would for an on ground course. Virtual office hours can offered in just about any medium you can think of. You can choose to hold them during set hours; however, for online courses consider offering them by appointment so students who may not be in your time zone still feel their instructor is available. It also means course instructors must deliberately set communication policies about when students can expect feedback, grades, and more.

Feedback and Communication Expectations: Quick Tips

Consider adding a page to your course with your bio, office hours and communication preferences. We suggest naming this page Meet Your Course Instructor.

Office Hours: Quick Tips

Faculty can hold office hours via any technology they and their students prefer. Here are some suggestions:
Use your, or your student's, preferred technology:

• Teams
• Facetime
• Google Duo
• Skyppe
• Whats App, etc.

Phone

If you want to keep your personal cell number private, consider setting up a free Google Voice account.