Academic Continuity Plan for Teaching and Learning
For the latest campus conditions, please refer to emergency.pepperdine.edu.
Overview
This faculty resource has been established to share solutions for continuing coursework if meeting with students face-to-face is not possible. As extreme weather, natural disasters, or other unexpected events can disrupt scheduled courses, the tools and strategies described here can minimize the effects of those situations.
All faculty members should prepare for the possibility of an interruption to face-to-face instruction. This includes proactively communicating detailed instructional plans, expectations, and alternative instruction strategies in their course syllabi.
Instructors may wish to consider:
- Having electronic copies of text material readily available
- Encouraging all students to try a web conferencing tool during the first few weeks of class
- Setting up additional instructional materials in Courses
For additional information, please see the emergency teaching and learning resources listed below.
Table of Contents |
Strategies |
Live Group Online Training |
Recorded Training Sessions |
Tools |
Additional Training |
Support |
Strategies
Best Practices for Online Teaching
As the instructor, you will have several options to continue instruction in the event of a campus closure. These can include live or synchronous class sessions, where you hold class remotely through phone or web conferencing options. You could also provide self-directed study options through asynchronous activities like readings, recorded lectures, forum discussions, or other possibilities. As the subject matter expert, you will review your learning objectives and specific teaching goals and align these with appropriate activities for academic continuity.
You may find these resources helpful:
- Pepperdine Graziadio Business School (PGBS) Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence
- Pepperdine School of Public Policy
- Seaver College Center for Teaching Excellence
- University Libraries Faculty Resources
Live Group Online Training
Join the Technology & Learning team for live, online training on a variety of topics.
If a time doesn't work or a topic isn't listed, Pepperdine faculty can request a one-on-one consultation.
- Technology & Learning Faculty Consultation Request
- Contact a University Libraries Subject Liaison
- Contact your local support team
Recorded Training Sessions
Learn from past training or webinar sessions.
Tools and Resources
| COMMUNICATION | |
|---|---|
|
|
Purpose: Quickly contact all enrolled students through email. |
|
Live/Synchronous Discussion |
Purpose: Communicate in real-time with students remotely. Zoom (up to 300 participants with phone conferencing) Google Meet (up to 100 participants with phone conferencing) Courses Chat (text-based instant messaging with a class) Google Chat (text-based instant messaging with any Pepperdine community member; instructors can create a "room" and add all students into the room for Slack-like communication) Freeconferencecall.com (up to 1000 participants by phone) |
|
Self-Directed/Asynchronous |
Purpose: Provide self-directed discussion activities. Courses Forums (facilitate class discussion) Courses Blogs (facilitate student reflection and class comments) Courses Lessons Student Pages (facilitate student reflection and class comments) Courses Lessons Comments (facilitate class discussion about lesson content) Courses Wiki (facilitate collaborative content creation) |
| COURSE MATERIALS | |
|
Lectures or Readings |
Purpose: Provide self-directed learning content. Courses Lessons (create structured learning content, embed videos, and link to activities) Courses Resources (post files and web links, such as PowerPoint or PDF files) Google Drive (post files, such as PowerPoint or PDF files) PowerPoint Recording (record a lecture and post to Courses or Google Drive) Quicktime Screen Recording for Mac (record a lecture, courtesy of Dr. Christopher Heard) Web Conference Recording (use Zoom and then share link or post MP4 to Google Drive; be sure to include the transcriptions and closed-captions for all videos) |
| ASSESSMENT | |
|
Papers, Quizzes, or Tests |
Purpose: Assess student learning. Courses Assignments (Assign, receive, and grade student papers; option for Turnitin) Courses Tests & Quizzes (Schedule and grade online exams or quizzes) Courses Gradebook (Share grades and feedback on student performance) |
Additional Training
| CONSULTATIONS | |
|---|---|
|
Schedule a Consultation |
Technology and Learning Team (All schools for Courses, Turnitin, Zoom, and more) GSEP Support (Qualtrics and other GSEP resources) LawTech Team (ExamSoft, TWEN, other Law School resources) PGBS Support (VoiceThread, Qualtrics, Yammer, Camtasia Relay, other PGBS resources) PGBS eLearning (other PGBS resources) |
| DOCUMENTATION | |
|
Faculty Guides |
|
| WEBINARS | |
|
Webinar Offerings |
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Pepperdine Help App on Courses (Sakai)
Step-by-step guidance for specific tools is available within Courses (courses.pepperdine.edu) and can be accessed through the "Pepperdine Help" App at the bottom right corner.
Support
| STUDENT SUPPORT | |
|---|---|
|
All Students |
Purpose: Technical Support for all University Students |
| FACULTY SUPPORT | |
|
Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) |
Email: gseptech@pepperdine.edu Phone: 310.568.5600 |
|
Pepperdine Graziadio Business School (PGBS) |
Email: pgbshelp@pepperdine.edu Phone: 310.568.5644
Email: eLearning@pepperdine.edu Phone: 310.568.5574 |
|
Caruso School of Law (CSOL) |
Email: support@law.pepperdine.edu Phone: 310.506.7425 |
|
School of Public Policy (SPP) |
Link: ITForms.pepperdine.edu Phone: 310.506.4357 |
|
Seaver College |
Link: ITForms.pepperdine.edu Phone: 310.506.4357 |
|
Pepperdine Libraries |
Team Info: Library Subject Liaisons Live Chat and more: Faculty Resources |