Harini Ramaprasad
Computer Science, College of Computing and Informatics
In an effort to shed some more light on the measures faculty members are taking to assure the online courses they teach this fall align with students’ learning needs and expectations, we reached out to Ramaprasad to see how she is approaching a few of her courses this fall semester.
What steps are you taking to create an effective online learning environment for your students?
All of the lecture material in my courses (both an asynchronous online course and a hybrid course) will be in the form of short, fully captioned lecture videos, interactive online tutorials and readings. This will allow students to consume weekly content at a pace that is convenient for them, allowing for rewatching and rereading material as needed.
Every week, students will engage in interactive “Poll Everywhere” quizzes, group discussions and a variety of activities. The activities aim to apply course concepts and algorithms to real-world examples and scenarios; analyze examples, case studies and programs; evaluate multiple algorithms and designs for a problem; and write programs and software prototypes. Activity submissions will be made via Canvas and may be in different formats as relevant, including written (e.g., requirements for a software application, explanation of a course concept), pictorial (e.g., software design diagrams, computer job schedule diagrams), programmatic (i.e., code written in a computer programming language) and video (e.g., demonstrations and presentations). For several activities and projects, students will have the opportunity to collaborate with a small group of peers. My courses will employ appropriate tools to support collaborative activities and projects, including Canvas discussion forums, video conferencing tools (e.g., Zoom), communication tools (e.g., Slack), cloud-based platforms that support sharing (e.g., Amazon Web Service’s Cloud9 service) and tools that support synchronous or asynchronous collaboration, such as online whiteboard tools (e.g., Miro) and the Google suite of data editing and sharing tools.
All course content, activities and assessments will be delivered via Canvas, organized into weekly course modules. Every module will include an overview and objectives and a clear indication of tasks and due dates for module items. This will be consistent every week, enabling students to plan and manage their weekly commitment to the course.
Due to the inclusion of a variety of low-stakes activities, students will have several opportunities to receive feedback on their learning. All activities will include detailed grading rubrics, which will provide an indication to students about what the instructional team will look for in their submissions. In addition to using these rubrics for grading, the instructional team will provide personalized comments and feedback (in written, audio or video format) on submissions as needed. Feedback and grades will be provided within a week of submission, enabling students to have an accurate picture of where they stand in the class.
Course announcements and communication will be done through Piazza. I will communicate and check-in with students at least twice a week. Students will be able to ask course related questions at any time using Piazza. The instructional team will monitor these questions and make sure to respond in a timely manner. Piazza also allows for other students in the class to answer questions when possible. Students who may be hesitant to ask questions in general will have the opportunity to post their questions anonymously if they prefer. Using Piazza for course related questions and answers will ensure information transparency and help students to learn from each other.
The instructional team will offer virtual meeting slots every week for students to get one-on-one help, including both drop-in times and appointment slots. These virtual meetings will be conducted via WebEx, Zoom or Google Meet. We will provide slots during a variety of days and times. In addition, students will be able to request appointments during other times and we will make every attempt to accommodate such requests.
What should students do to be successful in your online classes?
My primary advice to students would be to try and establish a weekly schedule for coursework, based on information and instructions provided in their course syllabus and other resources. This will help them stay on track with coursework, especially for courses that may not have specific weekly meeting times (i.e., asynchronous online courses). I would advise them to make themselves aware of the ways in which they can seek help from their instructional team and to avail of these opportunities when needed.
How are you prepared to navigate the unique landscape of this fall semester?
Throughout the summer, I was part of a community of faculty members in the College of Computing and Informatics (CCI) who worked together to create a set of Canvas courses with resources, tips and best practices for online teaching and learning focusing on CCI-specific challenges, examples and courses. We focused on how to do active learning in an online class environment, how to convey and foster a growth mindset and how to create a welcoming, inclusive and accommodating environment in our classrooms. This experience has helped us to think deeply about how to teach and navigate the landscape this fall semester. It has taught us to be ready to adapt our plans and to be empathetic toward our students in this challenging environment. Most importantly, it has established a platform for CCI faculty to continue to share our experiences, challenges and ideas throughout the fall semester. With this strong community behind me, I feel well prepared to navigate the fall semester and overcome any challenges we may face.
How will you create a sense of classroom community within an online environment?
Piazza, an online platform for classroom discussion, will go a long way in establishing social presence and creating a sense of classroom community within the online environment. It will be a way for the instructional team to check-in with students on a weekly basis and for students to ask questions and answer each other’s questions.
As mentioned earlier, several of the course activities and projects are designed to be collaborative. This will allow students to interact with a group of peers and prevent feelings of isolation. Several of the collaborative tools mentioned earlier allow for both synchronous and asynchronous collaboration, making them suitable for both an asynchronous online course and for a hybrid course with some synchronous meeting times. Several of them (e.g., online whiteboard tools and the Google suite of tools) additionally provide a way for the instructional team to check in and provide real-time feedback to students as they work on course activities. This helps to further establish an instructor or TA presence in the online environment.