Preparing a backup plan for emergency closings

Instructional Continuity Planning: Preparing a backup plan for teaching

Emergency closings and unforeseen course cancellations can occur for a variety of reasons: inclement weather, flu outbreak, Shelter in Place orders, family emergencies, etc. This guide will walk you through some considerations for emergency situations.

Create an emergency plan.

Don't wait until the last minute. Have a communication strategy ready in case classes are cancelled. Tell your students where to find course information and how they can contact you. These guidelines will walk you through formulating and communicating your plan with your students.

Create your plan
Identify your plans early: In your syllabus, include a clearly stated course policy regarding make-ups and absences that takes into account emergency closings. Leave some room in your schedule/syllabus for changes and modifications. Post your syllabus in your myLesley course site so that your students can easily access it.

Check with your department/program: Check with your department/program and with colleagues teaching the same and similar courses. How do they plan to handle emergency closings?

Stay informed: Stay up-to-date on Lesley closings and delays with the Lesley Emergency Alert System. Advise your students to do the same.

Communicate with your students right away: Even if you don't have a plan in place yet, reach out to your students as soon as possible. Let them know that class has been cancelled and what your expectations are for checking email or myLesley for more information.

Post an Announcement in myLesley to quickly alert your students to any changes. Be sure to select the option to Send a copy of this announcement immediately to send an email to all enrolled users.

Use the Send Email tool in myLesley to send an email to all of your students, groups of students, or individual students.

Review your syllabus: Think through some options for how to make up missed class time. Identify your priorities: distributing content, class discussions, collecting assignments, etc. Which activities can be rescheduled or made up online? Will you make up the missed time right away or spread it out throughout the week? Your approaches may vary depending on your course schedule and content.

Pick tools and approaches familiar to you and your students: Try to rely on tools and workflows that are familiar to you and your students. Do not introduce more than one new tool, as having to learn multiple tools in the middle of an emergency may cause frustration for you and your students.

Post documents and readings in myLesley

Collect student assignments using the myLesley Assignment tool

Create and facilitate online discussions using the myLesley Discussion Board

Create and post a short video lecture using Kaltura Media

Identify your expectations: Reconsider some of your expectations, including participation, communication, and deadlines. Keep in mind the impact that the emergency may have on students' ability to meet these expectations, including illness, power outages, family commitments, etc.

Create a detailed communication plan: Once you have worked through your options, send a detailed message to your students. Let them know what your have changed and detail your expectations. Let students know how to contact you (email, phone, online office hours, etc.) and how soon they can expect a reply.

Communication and Collaboration

Keep communications flowing even when you’re not in the classroom. Communicate in real time or whenever it’s convenient for each person. Create opportunities to collaborate with your students or allow your students to collaborate with each other.

Synchronous Communication
Synchronous communication methods allow you to communicate with your students in real time. Please note that in the case of widespread power outages students may have limited Internet and/or phone access. In these cases, allow for asynchronous communication methods.

Instant Messaging or Video Chat: Use instant messaging or video chat to communicate one-on-one or in small groups using a tool such as Microsoft Teams.

Online Meeting or Webinar: Create an online meeting using Zoom or Microsoft Teams to conduct live meetings, present information, or share your screen.
Asynchronous Communication
Asynchronous communication methods allow you to communicate with your students when it's convenient. There may be a delay of a few minutes to a few days. Let your students know your expectations.

Announcements: Post an Announcement in myLesley to quickly send a message to your students. Be sure to select the option to Send a copy of this announcement immediately to send an email to all enrolled users.

Email: Use the Send Email tool in myLesley to send an email to all of your students, groups of students, or individual students. Your students can also use the Send Email tool to communicate with each other and with you.
Collaboration
Create opportunities for your students to collaborate with each other.

Online Discussions: Create and facilitate online discussions using the myLesley Discussion Board. You may use the Discussion Board to replace or enhance classroom discussions in a digital format.

Online documents: Use Microsoft OneDrive to create, edit, share, and collaborate on online documents. Microsoft Office 365 is available to all Lesley University faculty, staff, and students.

VoiceThread: Use VoiceThread to create and collaborate on online presentations.

Move course content and assignments online

Uploading content to your myLesley course is not only useful for emergency preparations, but also a convenient place to store your course content so that you and your students can easily access them throughout the term. Add documents, readings, and video content to your course. Collect student assignments and provide feedback online.

Course Content
Add course content to your myLesley course

Documents and Readings: Post documents and readings in myLesley. If your content is already online, link to it from within your course.

Online Presentations: Use VoiceThread to create and collaborate on online presentations.

Video Lecture: Create and post a short video lecture using Kaltura Media to introduce a new topic, explain a concept from the readings, or provide additional information about an assignment.
Assignments
Online Discussions: Create and facilitate online discussions using the myLesley Discussion Board. You may use the Discussion Board to replace or enhance classroom discussions in a digital format.

Blogs and Journals: Use the myLesley Blogs or Journals tool to have your students reflect on their readings or assignments.

Assignments: Use the myLesley Assignment tool to post, collect, and grade papers or other written assignments.

Presentations: Use VoiceThread to create and collaborate on online presentations.

Flip your classroom.

The flipped classroom is a pedagogical model where faculty deliver instruction online, outside of class. This could take on many forms, including directing your students to existing tutorials, recording mini lectures from your webcam, and creating quick screencasts. A flipped classroom doesn’t need to be an all or nothing approach; you can use pieces of the flipped classroom idea to make up for lost class time.

Flipping Options
Online Tutorials and Training Materials: Use online tutorials and training to replace or enhance your lecture. Khan Academy offers instructional videos and practice exercises on a number of subjects. And don't discount the wealth of information available on YouTube.

Video Lecture: Create and post a short video lecture using Kaltura Media to introduce a new topic, explain a concept from the readings, or provide additional information about an assignment.

Screen Capture: Use Kaltura Capture to create your own online tutorial or demonstrate a process.

Additional resources for flipping your classroom can be found here:

Flipped Classroom Infographic (Knewton Infographics)

Flipping the Classroom (Cornell University Center for Teaching Excellence)

Help and Resources

Online Resources

The Support Hub provides resources and tutorials for all Lesley-supported technology, including myLesley, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Kaltura Media, and more. Not finding what you're looking for? Put in a support ticket for more information or to set up a training.

Attend eLIS Online Office Hours

Get Help with Blackboard, VoiceThread, Zoom, Kaltura, and more... eLIS staff are available to answer your questions. No appointment needed!

Faculty Office Hours: Mondays & Thursdays, 2:00-4:00PM ET in Zoom

Create a Ticket

Do you have a question or need specific training? You may put in a support ticket on theThe Support Hub or by emailing elis@lesley.edu. When reaching out for support, please provide your Lesley username, your course, and describe the problem to the best of your ability. If possible, include a screenshot. This information will help the support staff resolve your issue as quickly as possible.