Designing alternatives to campus-based learning activities for remote students in dual-delivery subjects

Equity in activity design

In preparing the activities in the subject staff may need to think about the way in which alternatives to established campus-based learning activities can be designed for remote students whilst ensuring equivalence in learning experience and achievement of learning outcomes.

Some principles to guide staff in their preparation of teaching and learning activities in dual-delivery subjects are:

1. That the intended learning outcomes (ILOs) are the same for the two student cohorts taking the same dual delivery subject.
2. That teaching and learning activities for each cohort in each mode of delivery in dual delivery subjects are designed to lead to equivalent learning outcomes, allowing all students to achieve the subject’s ILOs.
3. That the teaching and learning activities for the two modes of delivery in dual delivery subjects should be designed with equivalent time commitments for students

Flexibility and access to technology

In planning alternative activities for remote students, it will be important to:

• Ensure that alternative activities are clearly identified for the remote student
• Carefully consider whether synchronous activities are appropriate as such activities, while having benefits, can limit flexibility for your remote students and therefore impact on their capacity to access and engagement with learning materials
• Consider pedagogical designs for learning activities which can be easily accessed and engaged in by the remote student using standard technologies, devices and connectivity, particularly if using video and other media online
• Provide clear advice to students about the technologies, devices and connectivity that will be needed to successfully engage in the subject’s remote learning activities.

Scenarios for remote learning in dual delivery subjects

The following scenarios describe teaching situations where activities designed for on campus classes, tutorials or workshops are repurposed to include alternative online options for remote students – with equivalence in learning experience and outcomes. Other resources and forms of professional development.

Role play, presentations and peer review

My on campus students are asked to role play in class in authentic but simulated encounters; what can I provide as an alternative option for my remote students?

Individual or team presentations can be motivational and creative – you could schedule a series of online presentations from students or remote experts via live Zoom meetings or pre-recorded videos. Consider including peer review of the seminars by creating a review rubric in Canvas to provide constructive and critical formative feedback to students on their presentations.

My on campus students are asked to make something physically in class; what are the options for my remote students?

As an alternative to building something in class and submitting for class critique, remote students could be asked to create their own educational video or PowerPoint presentation enhanced with animation or voice over and slide notes for a selected topic which can then be submitted to the same class review session.

Discussions and class collaborations

I break students into pairs or small groups in my tutorial class to share and report back; what are my options for remote students?

Remote student pair or group discussions can be facilitated by an online discussion forum, or in real time through peer-to-peer video conferencing using Zoom breakout rooms. Remote students could report back on these discussions by recording and sharing a presentation through Canvas. Discussions can be enhanced by assigning or allowing students to choose specific roles and role play to engage students in online discussion forums.

Students could create a weekly podcast series of recorded audio discussions or interviews with experts by recording their podcast in Kaltura or Universal Capture and sharing to a Canvas discussion.

Inquiry-based activity

I have set inquiry-based learning projects, problem sets or case investigations within a seminar with 60 students – how can I translate these into equivalent activities for my remote students?

Groups of students could collaborate on editing or creating a Microsoft Teams document, Microsoft Teams wiki or Canvas wiki page or Canvas group as a research resource on a specific topic.

Consider creating a shared collaborative online reference library or gallery of images that students can contribute annotated references to on a specific topic via an Microsoft teams document or Canvas wiki page.

For individual inquiry tasks, you may want to set a non-graded assignment in Canvas where task information and links to reading material can be contained.

Student-created media can be shared in Canvas subjects by asking students to first upload their media to Kaltura or Universal Capture and then attaching media to discussion forum posts via ‘Select Ap’ option.

Studio or performance-based activity

I typically set short performance tasks for my students which they carry out in class and receive feedback...what are my options for remote students?

Remote students can be asked to generate media (for example, self-recording a video of a short performance) to be submitted for an online class review as an alternative to physical class activities or a synchronous physical/virtual session.

Kaltura or Lecture Capture can be used to share remote students’ audio or video media via your subject.  Both these media platforms provide the option to embed the media item in a Canvas class discussion board, and to be time stamped.

Consider asking students to create their own ePortfolio for sharing their work and inviting peer and expert review and critique.

Advanced tips using other learning technologies