The onset of COVID-19 has necessitated us to replace our face-to-face interaction with students during Semester 1 and the foreseeable future with preparing and instituting “Emergency Remote Teaching, Learning and Assessment” (ERT).
The purpose of ERT is “not to re-create a robust educational ecosystem but rather to provide temporary access to instruction and instructional supports in a manner that is quick to set up and is reliably available during an emergency or crisis” (Hodges, Moore, Lockee, Trust & Bond, 2020). ERT requires the re-thinking and adaptation of our face-to-face (F2F) T&L&A for delivery via the SUNLearn platform. However, the principles of good T&L&A in a F2F environment also apply to the online space - it is only the mode of delivery that is different.
The point of departure for this process of adaptation is to rethink the outcomes, assessment and learning opportunities of your module for the online environment. It is important to design for the active involvement of students and to encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning. Keep it simple, especially if you are new to the online T&L&A environment. Please contact the CTL advisor in your Faculty for assistance in thinking about the shift and preparing your module in a fully online modality for Semester 2. You can also discuss the transition with your Faculty BLC and request the creation of a SUNLearn module if you do not have one yet.
During Semester 1, a range of resources were collated to guide lecturers and students through the adaptation to ERT. A SUNLearn module on “Lecturer Support for Online Teaching” was developed to assist you step-by-step with the move from face-to-face to remote online teaching.
All online teaching and learning questions can be directed to Dr Antoinette van der Merwe: advdm@sun.ac.za
Bron: Charles Hodges, Stephanie Moore, Barb Lockee, Torrey Trust and Aaron Bond. 2020. EDUCAUSE Review, Friday, March 27, 2020. Online available https://er.educause.edu/articles/2020/3/the-difference-between-emergency-remote-teaching-and-online-learning
A website featuring practical and step-by-step guidelines for adapting a SUNLearn module page to function as a virtual classroom has been developed. The website is accessible to all lecturers once signed in on SUNLearn. Lecturers who cannot access the website, can request help via the SUNLearn helpdesk, and/or contact their faculty’s Blended Learning Coordinator for assistance.
Virtual Seminar series
Podcasts of a virtual seminar series focusing on preparing lecturers for online learning is available on the Lecturer Support for Online Learning SUNLearn module.
Resource for online assessment
An online resource has been developed to assist lecturers to prepare for online assessments. Click here to access the resource.
Podcasts of webinars focussing on online assessments are also available, click here to access the podcasts.
Online language support to lecturers by the Language Centre
The Language Centre can translate your lecture material – whether document or podcast – into Afrikaans and English (and sometimes isiXhosa), and give online support via writing and reading consultations. Online language courses are also available. Click here to see all the forms of language support available to lecturers for online teaching and learning.
