Spring 2021 Readiness Underway

With Spring 2021 soon approaching, we have been gearing our efforts toward readying upcoming Blackboard course shells. Courses for spring opened to students early, on November 5. Historically, course shells in Blackboard do not open until the official start of the term, but with many students making scheduling decisions based on hybrid and flex models, SHSU Online was asked by Academic Affairs to open courses early.

What is required to be in Blackboard by November 5?

The office of the Provost, in consultation with the Council of Academic Deans, have outlined a handful of requirements for Blackboard course shells. While it is not expected that the entirety of the course content will be fully developed in November, the Provost's Office is requesting that the following elements be deployed:

• For all courses, independent of instructional modality (online, face-to-face, blended):
  • Course Syllabus or Course Information: The Provost has requested all courses, regardless of delivery modality, either have the syllabus posted, OR, at least a welcome message. Some faculty have shared the following elements in their welcome message/course information announcement:
    • Professor Introduction & Contact Information
    • Extended course description
    • Schedule/format for how class will be split to meet social distancing expectations
    • Textbook(s) or information about the Bearkat Bundle
    • Course calendar
  • Attendance Policy: Given the uncertainties surrounding the coronavirus, faculty will establish clear guidelines regarding attendance and inform their students of their policy.
    • Online attendance expectations (check this out for easy copy/paste verbiage)

• For Blended & Face-to-Face courses only:
  • Selected Flex Model: in addition to the elements listed above, blended courses are also expected to provide an overview of the course, including clear instructions for when students are to meet on campus and when classes will be held remotely.

Request Remote Option

Nearly all Blended courses will also contain a content area called the “Request Remote Option.” SHSU Online personnel developed this area and added it in all courses that were identified by Colleges and Departments as eligible to offer students the option to request remote instruction.

While this content area has been deployed across blended courses, the approval or denial of the remote option rests solely on the faculty member, based on the needs of the course. Faculty are encouraged to indicate on the syllabus or welcome statement their willingness to allow or disallow remote options.

• Faculty may indicate such things as "lectures may be viewed remotely but labs must be taken in the blended format with the partial approval option."

What is required to be in Blackboard once the term officially begins (January 13)?

By the official launch of the term on January 13, 2021, all courses must leverage Blackboard for essential course elements. It will be vital to follow best practices that will allow SHSU students to quickly adjust to changing conditions while maintaining course continuity. These best practices include using the University LMS (Blackboard) as the hub for the following elements:

1. Syllabus
2. Course Communication
3. Course Schedule and Calendar
4. Attendance Monitoring
5. Grade Center ("My Grades" for students)
6. Online Office Hours

There is a variety of tools in Blackboard to manage the six essential elements listed above. To assist you, SHSU Online will be providing ongoing training throughout the following weeks and in the spring semester, as well as ongoing certifications in online teaching. You can check out these opportunities by visiting the SHSU Online Faculty Development web page or the Faculty Central tab inside Blackboard.

Also remember that SHSU Online provides instructional design support, video support, and a 24/7 technical call center. If you need assistance in accessing your online course(s), developing content, or any of the following service areas, contact us today!