Teaching Tips of the Week: Student Access to Learning
The Virtual Learning Task Force has published its report and compiled a list of Teaching Recommendations for winter term 2021. As you prepare your course for winter term, you may consider making some of these changes to help address common challenges identified by students and instructors.
Teaching Tips of the Week #5: Student Access to Learning
Many students reported various barriers to their online/virtual learning and expressed feeling that they could benefit from more opportunities to share their learning experiences and needs with instructors.
- Conduct a survey at the start of the course to collect information about students’ access to technologies and course materials, remote learning environments and motivations for taking the course.
- Give students a grace-period following assignment deadlines.
- Provide students with opportunities to provide feedback about their learning experiences with formative feedback throughout the term.
- Consider enhancing the accessibility of your digital course content and digital course delivery.
Looking for additional resources?
- Check out the Student Welcome (pre-course) Survey example developed by the Faculty of Social Sciences and housed in Avenue’s Learning Object Repository for easy integration.
- Check out this helpful resource for Collecting Midterm Student Feedback.
- Visit the FLEX Forward Accessible Education resource and training for accessibility and inclusion teaching and learning support.
Check out the following upcoming webinars
- Consider the recommendations in this timely and succinct article “Inclusive considerations for optimal online learning in times of disasters and crises”
- Share the “Technology Resources for McMaster Students” collection created by University Technology Services and the Student Success Centre with your students to better support their online learning needs.