Resources for conducting classes when classroom instruction is interrupted Academic Continuity Resources

Resources on this page were developed during and following the transition to remote learning in March 2020.

If you would like to suggest a resource for this page or if you have a question about the academic program that is not addressed on this page, please email the Provost's Office.

If you have suggestions about best practices and useful resources for other instructors, you can add them to this shared document.

Support for Westmont Resources

Please continue to email support@hwfj-art.com if you need support or have questions for IT.  If you have an immediate need, you can call Doug's cell phone (contact the Provost's Office for that number if you don't have it.)

  • Recordings of Remote Teaching Training Events (organized by Eileen)
  • Provost's Office Remote Learning Updates (archive)
  • Canvas Studio: video production, storage, and management platform embedded directly into Canvas.
  • IT Help Desk for Faculty: offered remotely as of 3/20; send a message to support@hwfj-art.com or call Doug's cell; 
  • Canvas (learning management system)
  • Zoom (this is the preferred tool for virtual meetings as IT will be most prepared to support).  To open Zoom, go to westmont.zoom.us and click on Sign in. 
  • Hangouts Meet (virtual meetings)
  • Video tutorials for creating media
New Resources
  • A collection of articles from the Chronicle (helping students cope; continuing to adapt your remote learning approaches);
  • Recent Veritas Forum with David Brooks, Andy Crouch, and Lydia Dugdale
Advice and Ideas from Westmont Faculty and Staff
  • Need a scanner? There are many free apps for Android and iPhone.  For example, Genius Scan, Adobe Scan. 
  • Provost's Office Remote Learning Updates
  • Information on free access to digital textbooks
  • Independent study template for adjusted internships
  • Tips for creating and managing video interaction
  • Tutorials about creating online courses created by Don Patterson
  • Suggestions from colleagues at Westmont
Good Practices
  1. Communicate regularly with your students.  Whether you're meeting during class time or conducting class asynchronously, set up regular office hours through Zoom.  While your plan will adapt as you go along, by the middle of this week (3/18) give students a sense of what's happening in the next couple weeks.  
  2. If you haven't done so yet, , practice setting up and running a virtual class session using Hangouts Meet or Zoom.  Get a colleague or family member to experiment with you.  Share these tips for successful "college from home" with your students, or ask them to watch these videos about Zoom etiquette.
  3. Make Canvas your home base for your course. From there you can link to other resources (e.g., YouTube, pdfs, Zoom or Hangouts sessions). If you aren't currently using Canvas, contact support@hwfj-art.com for assistance or stop by the IT helpdesk on the main floor of the library (M-F, 9-11:30 a.m. and 3-5 p.m., Library Main Floor).
Helpful Sites and resources

Resources from Stanford. Includes tips for getting started, best practices, and links to Canvas help.

Duke University's "Keep Teaching" Site. 

Collection of articles from The Chronicle 

  • Some helpful advice for getting started  (pp. 9-10, 13-21, 28-30)
  • List of free tools for audio recording, etc. (p. 31)