Academic Continuity, Resources, Teaching in Different Modalities

Teaching in Spring 2021

ITS is excited to support your teaching during Spring 2021 and have included a range of services below.

If you have any additional questions, concerns or suggestions, we recommend contacting the Help Desk (helpdesk@clarku.edu) so that we can direct your request to the most appropriate department for the quickest response.

Table of Contents

Online Synchronous Classes & Zoom

Zoom is our recommended technology for synchronous class sessions. All Clark community members have fully licensed accounts (previously called Pro accounts), which allow meetings for up to 24 hours, with up to 300 participants.

Click here for more information on Zoom including how to log in with your Clark account, best practice recommendations, and how to access support.

Recorded Presentations & Panopto

If you’re planning on pre-recording your lectures, or having your students record presentations, we recommend considering Panopto, which is Clark’s internal video streaming service. It allows you or your students to upload or record videos, voice-over Powerpoints, or podcasts.

Student Access to Software

With many students studying remotely for the semester, it may be important to plan in advance for students’ ability to access software from off-campus.

Specialist Software

If your remote students require access to specialist software that they usually access via on-campus computers (Adobe products, ArcGIS, Microsoft Access, SPSS, etc.), it’s important that we discuss access as soon as possible.

While they may be able to download software to their personal device, or access it via our VLabs service, some software may require a more significant discussion. In order to ensure prompt access, please email the Help Desk (helpdesk@clarku.edu) as soon as possible to begin a conversation around supporting your remote students.

Microsoft Office

If students need access to Microsoft Office (including Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Teams), they can download it to personal devices by visiting: https://portal.office.com/OLS/MySoftware.aspx

Web-Cameras, Microphones or Other Technology

ITS can provide faculty with long-term loans of Web-Cameras and Headsets (with Microphones) on request. Please email the Help Desk (helpdesk@clarku.edu) to schedule a pick-up time.`

ITS also holds a stock of other technology for short and long-term loans where appropriate, including video cameras, personal amplification microphones, document cameras and drawing tablets. Please email the Help Desk for more information.

Remote Movie Screenings

If you usually screen a DVD or Blu-ray movie in the classroom for academic purposes, our digitization service can allow you to provide your remote students access to that resource.

We ask that you first search the library to see if the movie is available through the media databases (click here to search through Kanopy and Academic Video Online).

If your media isn’t available through those services, but we have access to the DVD through your department, through the library, or through your personal ownership, please contact the Help Desk (helpdesk@clarku.edu) to request more information about our digitization service. Please note it can take approximately 2 week for us to process your request.

Moodle

Click here to access Moodle (click Clark Login in the top right), or use the link in the ClarkYou portal.

Enable your Course

The first thing to do in order to start working on your Moodle class is to enable your course. Click here to watch a short video on how to enable your course.

Moodle Template

When you first enable your Moodle course, it’s a blank slate. While some of us thrive on blank pages, others like a little structure. To that end, we’ve created a Moodle template for Spring courses.

Note that if you’ve already taught this course in Moodle, and plan on both requesting the template and using Moodle’s import feature to copy content from a previous semester, some ‘tidy up’ will be required.

Using Moodle’s Import Feature

If you’ve already taught this course at Clark in Moodle, you can use Moodle’s import feature to copy content from a previous semester. Click here to watch a short video on how to use the import feature.

Embedding library-subscribed content in Moodle

When content is available through Clark Libraries, providing a link within Moodle rather than a pdf has significant benefits:

    • Students linking to library content will become more aware of the riches available online through the library.
    • Students can take advantage of automated citation generators as well as specialized search features available on publisher/provider pages.

In order for students to have seamless access to library-subscribed content from off campus, using the EZProxy prefix to prompt a Clark login is a crucial step. Visit EZProxy Permanent Linking for instructions. Contact library@clarku.edu or visit Goddard Library Online Help for further assistance.

More Moodle Support

Check out our Moodle Quickstart Playlist or contact the Help Desk (helpdesk@clarku.edu) for more support.

Classroom Technology

OWL Cameras

ITS has placed Owl (360-degree, smart) Cameras in many classrooms being used this Spring.

Smart Monitor

Many of the classrooms being used this semester include a Smart Monitor that allows you to write on a virtual whiteboard that can be captured in Zoom, annotate PowerPoints with a stylus and much more.

Click here to see if your classroom has a Smart Board (choose the Room Capacities link, and Smart-Monitors are designated as Smart in the Added Technology column).

If you have any questions about how to use the Smart Monitor, please reach out to the Help Desk (helpdesk@clarku.edu).

Standard Technology

Most of our standard classrooms include standard technology, including a white/chalk board, projector, an instructor PC (with Zoom, Panopto, Microsoft Office and many other standard applications) and the ability to connect a laptop. If you have any questions about the technology available in your classroom, please email the Help Desk.

Personal Microphone

If you’re concerned about your ability to be heard when teaching in the classroom while wearing a mask, ITS can provide a small personal microphone (click here to see a similar device) that is available for long-term check-out by contacting the Help Desk.

Teaching Support

In Summer 2020, Clark University presented a course – Teaching in Different Modalities – for faculty to plan and address the challenges presented by teaching online or hybrid. A non-facilitated version of that course is available as a resource for all faculty. Click here to learn more about this resources.

ATS staff members Don, Bhagya and Michael, are also standing by to support you with any pedagogical or technology needs. Click here to learn more about ATS consultations.

Need even more great support? Clark University’s CETL provides a multitude of resources for teaching face-to-face, online and hybrid. Click here to log into Moodle and visit their Resource site, or email Laurie Ross