Building a Presence in Your Web Class Showing

Building a Presence in Your Web Class Showing who you are and how you can help in a virtual environment 1

Who I am: Stephanie Marchetti she/hers smarchetti@mwcc. mass. edu https: //www. linkedin. com/in/stephaniemarchetti/ Director of Academic Support and Testing Services Mount Wachusett Community College Oversee tutoring, supplemental instruction, testing operations and academic student placement Adjunct faculty, Media and Communications 2

In this training: Read/Write Presence Video Presence Audio Presence Support Presence 3

Laying the groundwork: Syllabus language considerations Review your syllabus with the following in mind: Does your syllabus establish trust? Is your language engaging and open? Do you include a statement of your goals for learning, outside of the course description? How to reinforce syllabus language in a remote environment: Issue a short syllabus quiz the first week of class Film a 5 -10 minute introductory video on course rules and expectations Share your evaluation process (timelines, rubrics, common feedback, etc) 4

Laying the groundwork: Attendance & Policy Syllabus statements Example attendance statements: Attendance is mandatory. You are allowed one absence. Further absences may result in failure of the class. Web students are expected to be online on a regular basis. Any student who misses more than three forums, 3 worksheets, or a combination of the two, may be removed from the course via the “stop out” option. (Read more HERE about what a stop out means. ) There are no excused absences in this course since you have 7 days to complete each assignment. Your presence is important and valued in this class. Missing one class could substantially set you behind and I recommend you inform me ahead of time if you will miss class so we can build a plan for your continued success. 5

Laying the groundwork: Academic Honesty Syllabus Statements Sample Academic Honesty Statements: Any act of plagiarism may result in the failure of this course. Should a student decide to turn in work that is not their own, it will result in an F for the paper and possibly the course. By registering in an online course, you agree to: rely solely on your own work in connection with all assessments, problems, homework and assignments (unless collaboration is expressly permitted); acknowledge any and all external sources used in your work; refrain from any activity that would dishonestly or fraudulently improve your results or disadvantage others in the course; not let anyone else use your username and/or password; not access or attempt to access any other user's account, or misrepresent or attempt to misrepresent your identity Intellectual development requires honesty, responsibility, and doing your own work. Taking ideas or words from others -- plagiarizing -- is dishonest and will result in a failing grade on the paper or assignment and possibly other disciplinary actions. If you are unsure about what constitutes plagiarism, ask me or consult the Academic Honesty policy at catalog. mwcc. edu 6

Reinforcing Expectations: Post an FAQ reference sheet and/or video • What do I do if I am not sure my assignment submitted correctly? You can double check your upload (here) and also email the professor (email address) to verify. Make sure to submit assignments early so there is time to check on any problems that may arise! • What procedures are used to detect cheating in this course? Blackboard screens all posted material through a program called “Safe Assign”. Any discrepancy between the returned exam and one resubmitted for a regrade is considered a violation. No materials such as a smartphone are allowed to be used during an exam. Any use of a smartphone during an exam (for any reason) is considered a violation. • How do you know that I’m meeting attendance requirements? Faculty are able to see the last time you logged in to a class. In this class, I am also checking your activity on our discussion board and how complete each of your weekly assignments are. Even though we’re not in person, I can still tell if you’re here. 7

Expanding your Presence: Remove the anonymity of online classes Update the faculty contact card Include your preferred pronouns & how you like to be addressed Add a picture Note expected turn around time for emails 8

Expanding your Presence: Remove the anonymity of online classes Review the formality of your feedback Personalize feedback when possible Include images or (limited!) emojis to add expression to your posts Set the tone for how you want your words to be interpreted 9

Screenshot: Quick Comment in Grade Center After entering a grade, click the down arrow next to it and this will pop up: Click on “quick comment” and type a note in the “feedback to learner” section, then hit “submit”: 10

Expanding your Presence: Remove the anonymity of online classes Share video and audio of yourself throughout the class Film short videos explaining how assignments are done Embed audio memos into announcements for those whose learning strength is not read/write Offer opportunities for students to meet with you via Zoom or phone 11

Building a Presence: Helpful tools: Screencast-o-matic: https: //screencast-o-matic. com/ Example: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=r. FI 1 E 2 f 7 n-g&t=1 s 12

Building a Presence: Helpful tools: You. Tube Example: https: //youtube. com/playlist? list=PLhkvli. Apxo. Lhpx-ngww. No. Ww. SA 6 Clr 97 f. H 13

Building a Presence: Helpful tools: Online Voice Recorder: https: //online-voice-recorder. com/ Example: 14

Building a Presence: Support through consistency o How is your class site organized? o When and how often do you post announcements? o What goes in an announcement versus another area? o What are the titles of your assignments? 15

Building a Presence: Include Links to Outside Assistance Academic Support Advising Childcare assistance information Counseling Services Disability Support Services o o o Food Pantry Health Services Library TRi. O Programs Veteran Services o … what else is available at your institution? 16

Offering Opportunity: Assessment outside of standard exams Include critical and creative thinking questions on exams Offer project-based learning opportunities Permit video and audio responses Host open dialogue sessions 17

That’s all, folks! Ready to dive in? Lots of what we discussed today, and more, is available here: https: //library. mwcc. edu/buildingawebpresence 18