Prepare for Online Teaching

You will need a laptop or desktop computer that can function reliably. In most cases, devices manufactured within the past four years will certainly be acceptable.

The following guidelines are the minimum computer specifications required for general-purpose computing and participating in online instruction. Students should also review their academic program as specific majors may require greater specifications or variable other resources to adequately run the required software. Adversely, an academic program might allow you to use less powerful hardware such as tablets or Chromebooks.*

Apple Computers

Operating system: macOS (Big Sur or later)

Processor: Apple Silicon (M1, M2)

RAM: All Apple computers come with the minimum amount of recommended RAM**

Storage: At least 128GB of SOLID STATE drive (SSD) storage

Camera: All Apple MacBooks come with a built-in camera and microphone suitable for education.***

Windows Computers

Operating system: Windows 10/11

Processor: Intel Core i5; AMD Ryzen 3 or higher

RAM: At least 8 Gigabytes of RAM**

Storage: At least 128GB SOLID STATE drive (SSD) storage

Camera: Built-in or external web camera (480p or higher resolution) with microphone***

*Chromebooks and tablets aren't recommended for use as primary computing devices unless your academic program requires/accepts them for curriculum purposes. While these devices can work, many core applications and services might be limited in functionality or features, especially when collaborating with peers and colleagues.

**Increased RAM tends to improve performance and speed. If you work with intensive programs such as video editing, graphics, music notation software, etc., you may find 16GB or more RAM will be more suitable.

***Most desktops and laptops have a built-in web camera and microphone. If these built-in devices aren't functioning, you'll need to acquire an external camera or microphone.

If you're taking part in video calls, a webcam can enhance the experience and keep you connected. While most laptops and mobile devices come with built-in cameras, if your device doesn't have one, you may need to get an external USB camera. These cameras plug into your computer and work without needing to install any software. They often offer better quality than built-in cameras. Check out the link below for a variety of recommended webcams with different features and designs. All of them are great options.

Recommended Web Cameras

Note: This is not an affiliate link, and UIW receives no compensation from any purchases. UIW is not responsible for any negative experiences with products from external parties. The link serves to showcase a particular brand/model of a recommended product. Please purchase the product from your desired retailer.

If you are planning to join online classes on your computer, having a microphone is essential. While most laptops and mobile devices come with built-in microphones for video calls, if your device doesn't have one, you may need to get an external USB microphone. These microphones plug into your computer and work without needing additional software. They often provide better audio quality than built-in microphones. You can find a variety of microphones with different features and designs at the link below.

Recommended Microphones

Note: This is not an affiliate link, and UIW receives no compensation from any purchases. UIW is not responsible for any negative experiences with products from external parties. The link serves to showcase a particular brand/model of a recommended product. Please purchase the product from your desired retailer.

Many internet/web browsers are available to use and download, and each one offers specific nuances and features that might suit your preferences more than another. It's recommended you use one of the browsers below when learning online at UIW.

Which Internet browsers are recommended?

• Google Chrome
  • Download Google Chrome
  • Chrome browser training and help

• Microsoft Edge
  • Download Microsoft Edge
  • Edge help and learning

• Mozilla Firefox
  • Download Firefox
  • Learning the basics with Firefox

• Safari
  • Only available on Apple devices, comes pre-installed
  • Getting to know and learn Safari

• Brave web-browser
  • Download the Brave web-browser
  • Learn how to use Brave

I'm having trouble with my web browser, what can I do?

Most issues with web browsers and pages can be solved by clearing out your browsing cache and history. Learn how to manage your web browser and mitigate issues and frustrations.

We recommend a minimum bandwidth of 15 Mbps for both upload and download speed especially when managing full workloads remotely. Most commercial providers, even satellites, should offer packages that exceed this amount. For more information about residential internet and WIFI, contact your internet service provider.

"How do I check my internet connection speed?"

You may check your upload and download speeds on a mobile or desktop device with an online tool.

"What do upload and download speeds mean?"

• Upload speed - refers to how quickly you send data from your device to the internet. This will affect the time it takes to upload an assignment to Canvas, share a photo online, or write a blog post. This number is typically lower/slower than the download speed.
• Download speed - refers to how quickly you receive data from the internet to your device. Activities like streaming video, gaming, downloading files, and viewing web pages are all determined by the download speed. This number/speed can be affected by a variety of factors.

Many of us are stressing our home networks like never before. If you find yourself having connectivity challenges, consider reading through the following resources.

• How to troubleshoot your home's WI-FI.
• How to boost your home's WI-FI.
• How to work from home when your internet goes out.

Alternatively, check out some of the following tips:

• If connected via WI-FI carefully review the placement of your wireless router and laptop.
  • The farther away you are the more chance for signal disruption and interference.
  • Ensure your wireless router is in the open and not in a cabinet to allow for the best signal propagation.

• If possible select the 5Ghz WiFi network instead of the 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi network.
  • 5Ghz is more capable and has less interference. Nearly all modern routers provide this capability.
  • Please refer to the manual or service provider information for details on specifics.

• Depending on the age of your wireless router, consider upgrading your hardware.
  
  • Newer routers are more powerful, have better range, and offer other security benefits.

• If the placement of your router and computer allows consider a wired connection.
  • Wired connections are not susceptible to signal loss or interference resulting in the best connection.

• Check for competing for internet consumption.
  • Streaming video services such as Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, and others can consume large amounts of bandwidth.
  • Online gaming and gaming consoles should be considered. They may be consuming bandwidth if on but not used.

• Consider ad-blocker extensions for your internet browser.
  • Web-based Ads, pop-up videos, and other nuisances can unnecessarily consume bandwidth.
  • Each browser can add these extensions at no cost.

Clear and concise communication is crucial for successful online teaching. Students will require consistent information about any changes to the class and their expected tasks. Before starting your classes, consider the following questions:

• Do I know how to schedule and conduct online office hours?
• If I need to meet virtually, can I schedule and manage live meetings using Microsoft Teams?
• Am I aware of the available channels for student communication and feedback?
• Am I prepared to communicate changes, updates, and other relevant information to my students?

If you answered "no" to any of these questions, the following tips will provide you with tools and options to effectively communicate with your students and enable them to communicate with each other.

Canvas offers three main methods of communication: Announcements, Inboxes, and discussions.

• Announcements: These can be used to communicate time-sensitive information with students, appearing on the course's homepage and in their dedicated navigation menu item labeled, 'Announcements'.

• Canvas Inbox: These allow an instructor to send a message, akin to an email, to all users in a course, specific users in a role, or all users in a smaller group.

• Discussions: Facilitate written discussions among students and instructors. Discussions can also be created as assignments or simply serve as a forum for topical and current events.

Benefits of Communicating through Canvas

• If your students have the Canvas mobile app, announcements/messages will be sent out as push notifications to their mobile devices.
• Ability to add attachments to announcements.
• Announcements are organized in their own 'Announcements' tab within the Canvas Navigation toolbar, allowing students to easily review new and past announcements.
• You can easily track communications with students.
• Important conversations are kept within Canvas and are easy to find.
• It maintains privacy as everything is contained within Canvas and you do not need to use personal or other email addresses.

Microsoft Teams, also known as Teams, is a platform for real-time collaboration and communication, as well as for conducting meetings, sharing files and apps, and more. One of the key advantages of MS Teams is its integration with the entire Microsoft ecosystem, which includes Stream for meeting recordings, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. Some notable features of communication include:

• Asynchronous instant chat or call with anyone at UIW.
• Seeing the availability statuses of each person allows you to stay focused and know when others are available.
• The ability to create a Team with dedicated 'channels' to organize conversations into specific spaces.
• The option to schedule, join, or start a video or audio meeting at any time.

To learn more about Teams, visit the link below to get started.

Microsoft Teams at UIW

All UIW personnel have a Microsoft Outlook email account and can send and receive communications. Encourage them to check their emails often for communication across the university.

Microsoft Outlook Resources

• Microsoft help and learning portal - Learn everything about Outlook
• Outlook for Windows quick-start guide
• Outlook for Mac quick-start guide
• Outlook for iOS and Android quick-start guide
• Outlook for the Web (Web browser) quick-start guide

Benefits of Communicating through Email

• Familiarity - All UIW personnel and students have access to an Outlook email account.
• Attachments - Emails can include up to 50MB of attached files to the recipient
• Security - Email at UIW scans all links upon being open, and if you or students are using the dedicated Outlook app, the email can be encrypted for the safest communication.

There are so many ways to share course content with your students, depending on whether you want, or might need, to meet in-real time or not. Before moving materials online, ask yourself some of the following questions...

• Can I use Canvas to make course materials available to my students?
• Do I know how to pre-record or deliver my lecture materials and share them with students virtually, if needed?
• Do I know how to deliver any materials I create or procure to my students online?

If you answered "no" to any of these, the following tiles are available to provide some resources to help move and share your content in a digital space.

Synchronous Lecture

If you want to present lecture material synchronously (like how your face-to-face class would ordinarily meet - with students all present at the same time), some of these strategies might be for you...

• Communicate lecture information through the appropriate channels (See the Communicating with your students section above)
• Post your course materials through Canvas, Teams, or an appropriate communication channel prior to the live session
• Use Microsoft Teams to schedule and start the live session.
• Optional: Use polls in MS Teams or Poll Everywhere to gather feedback or to insert engaging activities into your virtual environment.
• Optional: Use MS Teams breakout rooms during the live sessions to have students participate in discussions with a partner or small groups, then share with the class.

Things to consider...

• Set up and practice dry runs of your process with your setup.
• Recording the lecture to make it available for students at a later point.
• Setting aside time in the first week of class to discuss expectations for the online space
• Be sure your notifications or communications are turned off during your lecture, mostly when sharing your screen.

Asynchronous Lecture

If you'd like to present lecture material asynchronously (without any time constraints or planned times for when students engage with your material), these are some tools that could be helpful...

• If you're lecture is hosted online, you can record your lecture with the following guides on each platform...
  • How to use the Microsoft Stream recorder.
  • How to use Microsoft Team's built-in record function.
  • HPS Only: Use EchoVideo to record your lecture autonomously or manually. See the Available Software page for Faculty and Staff and find the EchoVideo tile to learn more.

• Post your lecture in Canvas in Pages, Discussions, or Assignments.
• Post accompanying course materials in Canvas

PowerPoint includes the feature to record narration for each slide in a presentation and easily re-record mistakes for the slides. View the quick start guides below to get going!

Written Guides

• Record a slide show with narration and slide timings.
• Rehearse and time the delivery of a presentation.

Video Guide

Within the modern internet, links are quick and convenient ways to share direct access to specific pieces of information. Every UIW-affiliated faculty, staff, and student have a dedicated OneDrive space to store and host up to 5TB of content! From here, or a shared group OneDrive, a file or folder can be shared directly with the capability to set specific security settings on links.

Canvas courses only have 2GB of space, which can fill up quickly if you host a good number of files on your site. Storing them within OneDrive and linking to them within Canvas can save your course from filling up!

Written Guides

• • Share OneDrive files and folders on desktop
  • Share OneDrive files on mobile...
    • Apple iOS devices
    • Android devices

• • How to insert links from anywhere in Canvas

Video Guide

Microsoft Stream is a video service that allows you to upload video content and share the content only with UIW faculty, staff, and students. Use Stream if you want to...

• Embed videos that you create
• Have closed captions automatically generated for videos, an important feature for addressing accessibility needs and universal design.
• Insert forms as a type of interactivity
• Make sure your videos are only viewable by specific groups of students

OneDrive is your near-limitless online cloud storage solution from UIW. Each UIW email address is assigned a OneDrive to store, manage, and share files from. As denoted in the tile above, this platform serves as an excellent place for sharing all forms of content, but video content is just as easily shared. Share videos from OneDrive if you want to...

• Go to one place to store and share all of your files
• Not learn any new uploading process
• Have the ability to generate Closed captions and an English transcript on any video with a single click
• Don't want to embed your videos

To learn more about Microsoft Stream and OneDrive as video sharing solutions, find their respective tiles on the Available Software page below...

Available Software for Faculty and Staff

Canvas offers a variety of assessment tools to create low-stakes quizzes, assignments, or assorted assessments. Before you begin, consider the following...

• Decide how much grading time is available before you create an assessment and select the question types accordingly.
• What kind of assignment would I like to use in my online course?
• If creating a quiz, choose between Canvas' "Classic" quizzes or their "New" quizzes by reviewing the comparison chart and understanding which features are available in both.
• As you write a quiz, create feedback for right and wrong answers.

Written Guides

• Get started with a "Classic" quiz.
• Get started with a "New" quiz.
  • A Quiz can be used to check if students understand the material.
• How to create an Assignment in Canvas.

Video Guides

• "Classic" Quizzes overview
• "New" Quizzes overview
• Assignments overview

Microsoft forms is a powerful survey tool available to all UIW faculty and staff. Forms can be accessed in Cardinal Apps by clicking on Office 365, then clicking on the waffe icon in the upper left and selecting Forms. This Office app can serve as a method to send out short-form assessments, create quizzes and surveys, and save basic analytical data from these activities. Some quick how-tos to get started are:

• Creating a new form
• Creating a quiz 
• Adjust settings of your quiz or form
• Share a form to collaborate
• Send a form and collect responses
• View your form results

Respondus Exam Creator can be used in Canvas to build exams and quizzes for your students and is part of the Respondus® Version 4.0 package. This is a Windows-based authoring tool and is not available to run on Mac devices.

Written tutorials

• Quick Start Guide: Create and manage exams for Canvas learning systems (PDF).
• Respondus Exam Creator in Canvas: This user guide covers the features and functions common to Canvas. (PDF)

Video tutorials

Creating and Formatting Questions with Respondus

Importing Questions with Respondus

UIW faculty may allow for remote assessment proctoring using Respondus Monitor. Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor are available to all UIW faculty and can be used to help ensure academic integrity with your students in your online course.

To find out more on Respondus tools, find the 'Respondus' tiles on the respective Available Software pages to learn how to get started and find resources...

Available Software for Faculty and Staff

Turnitin is a web-based writing assessment toolkit that allows instructors to provide feedback to students through markup tools, rubrics, proofing tools, and originality reports to detect plagiarism. Turnitin is integrated into Canvas so your student submissions can seamlessly be filtered to allow for all these features. Benefits of using Turnitin include:

• Easily give feedback on student submissions
• Facilitates peer review
• Attach rubrics or other forms to assignments
• Tests student submissions against sources across the web, including other students' work

To learn how to get started with Turnitin and view resources associated with the program, find the 'Turnitin' tile on the Available Software page below...

Available Software for Faculty and Staff

EdPuzzle is a free assessment tool that allows instructors to embed open-ended or multiple-choice questions, audio notes, audio tracks, or comments on a video. EdPuzzle is a great formative assessment tool for teachers who fun in a flipped classroom, assign videos for homework, or want to encourage asynchronous discussion. Teachers can also have students use EdPuzzle to show whether they achieve their goals by the end of the semester.

To learn more about how to use EdPuzzle and how to get started, find the 'EdPuzzle' tile on the Available Software page below.

Available Software for Faculty and Staff

Overview video

Flipgrid elevates text-based discussion forums and serves as an online platform allowing instructors to post "topics" that are videos with some accompanying text. This is shared with student groups of your choosing, who can respond to the topic with their videos creating a web-based video discussion board, or 'grid'.

There's a dedicated mobile app that will serve as a familiar motion for students used to upload short-form video content, although videos can also be uploaded seamlessly through the web browser. Moving discussions into a visual format connects the class over a distance and allows students and instructors to get closer to the human element that might be absent from the medium. Also, Flipgrid offers a Canvas Integration where activities can be graded.

Available Software for Faculty and Staff

Padlet is an online tool that is best described as an online post-it board. It can be used by students and teachers to post notes on a common page where the notes posted can contain links, videos, images, and document files.

Create as many online post-it boards or "walls" as you like and insert ideas anonymously or with your name. You can set these Padlets' permissions to Private or Public. Private walls can be created by requiring a password to access them or by limiting access to registered users with specified emails.

View a Padlet Gallery for some great examples and inspiration on how you can use Padlet in your learning space. Other great uses of Padlet include...

• Group work
  • Set up students with their Padlet wall as an area to work collaboratively for long-term projects. Or use an area to have students post short-term group work such as ideas discussed following a Microsoft Teams breakout room.
• Introductory space
  • Padlet can be used as a social space for your modules, allowing students to connect to one another. Perhaps students introduce themselves through text, images, links, or videos on your class wall.
• Q&A space
  • Use Padlet as a back-channel for a module. Allow students to post ideas and questions, with Padlet providing a colorful canvas to insert links and images to breathe personality into the environment.

To learn more about Padlet and how to get started with UIW, find the 'Padlet' tile on the Available Software page below...

Available Software for Faculty and Staff

Overview video

StudyMate is part of the Respondus suite and allows faculty and students to create flash cards, self-assessments, and learning games. It's ideal for instructors who want to create, share, and track student use of study materials. StudyMate offers...

• Ability to see stats on what students have and haven't studied
• Mobile app for iOS and Android
• Create an unlimited number of projects
• Three easy to use templates for entering facts, definitions, or multiple-choice questions.
• Over 10 learning activities that engage students such as flash cards, crosswords, matching, pick-a-letter, quiz, challenges, fill in the blank, and fact cards!

To find out how to access StudyMate and view accompanying resources, find the 'StudyMate' tile on the Available Software page below...

Available Software for Faculty and Staff

Video overview

Poll Everywhere is an online platform that allows students to vote on custom teacher-generated questions through text messaging (SMS), web browser via the site, or even a dedicated smartphone app. During a lecture or presentation, pausing occasionally to provide a break for students, or to insert a knowledge check. Since you and the class can see the distribution of responses, it’s a good opportunity to discuss puzzling or controversial material. Instructors can leverage the Canvas integration to automatically enter grades based on polling responses!

Poll Everywhere offers a variety of question types such as...

• Word cloud
• Multiple choice
• Open-ended question
• Ranking question
• Q&A
• Surveys
• Competitions
• Clickable image questions

To find out more about getting started with Poll Everywhere with accompanying resources, find the 'Poll Everywhere' tile on the Available Software page below.

Available Software for Faculty and Staff

Possible uses for engagement

• Prior knowledge survey
  • Create a survey that asks students' to rate their level of understanding of a new topic in class. Use the 'Survey' question format in Poll Everywhere.
• Icebreakers
  • Ask fun questions to grab students attention or to help start a discussion. Use the 'Q&A' question type in Poll Everywhere for this activity.
• Lesson review
  • Perhaps ask students to submit topics they're confused about from a previous lesson or reading. Other students can upvote the response they agree with which would allow you to review the top responses and proceed accordingly.

• Online teaching toolkit from the Association of College and University Educators
• Best practices for an online pedagogy from Harvard University
• Teaching effectively during times of disruption from Stanford University
• Quality Matters remote instruction checklist from Quality Matters
• "Do this, not that" with online teaching

Under “Fair Use” educators in nonprofit institutions have greater access to copyrighted material than the public; however, the law still limits the amount of material that can be borrowed and the ways in which it can be used. Here are three ways to use copyrighted material legally.

• When posting copyrighted material on a Canvas site, use only a small excerpt (typically less than 10% of the original text) or one image from a single work. These directions from the Mabee Library outline the provisions of “Fair Use” in more detail.

• When directing students to copyrighted material owned by the library, for instance, a journal article, post a permalink rather than the work itself. For assistance with creating a permalink to an item owned by a UIW library, contact Leslie Todd ( todd@uiwtx.edu or (210) 829-3841).
• When material is posted on the web, share the link with students so they can visit the site. Except for the small amount of material allowed under “Fair Use,” do not download and post copyrighted material on a Canvas course.

Information on Copyright Laws

The following sites will provide more information on compliance with copyright laws and policies.

• United States Copyright Office
• Copyright basics, from the United States Copyright Office
• A Copyright Guide to Rapidly Shifting Your In-Person Class Online.
• Digital Millennium Copyright Act

Prior to recording or hosting online courses, please review UIW's Teleconferencing and Recording Policy with the link below. The purpose of this policy is to govern the use of the recording and privacy functions in teleconferencing applications. These applications include, but are not limited to Microsoft Teams and RingCentral Meetings.

Teleconferencing and Recording Policy