Academic Guidance for Remainder of Spring 2020 Semester

Questions About Timing

Do all courses have to align with the extended spring break period, even if they originally were online?

Yes, all courses should incorporate a 2-week spring break period, even if the course was already being taught online. Students in online courses might be able to read ahead or work on projects, but no assignments should be collected or exams be administered.

Will the date for the end of the semester change?

No. Faculty should think creatively about combining topics and altering assignments to ensure that course learning outcomes are achieved within the current semester timeframe. While we are not extending the length of the semester, please do not feel the need to cram everything into a shortened time period. For example, you might omit topics and/or assignments that are not as critical to the course learning outcomes.  

Must I adhere to my current scheduled class time?

Absolutely not. Your students may be in time zones all around the world or have challenges in accessing technology at peak times. The more “asynchronous” we can be in our instruction, the better.

Assignment Questions

How can students in methods classes, internships, or clinicals complete observations or performance-based assignments?

Use virtual or e-learning alternatives, whenever possible. If host sites have stopped accepting students (or if a student needed to return home and cannot commute to the site), consider an alternative assignment that enables the student to acquire similar types of knowledge. Some great examples are included on the keepteaching.iu.edu site.

Some students in internships or at service learning sites are being told that they must fulfill internship or service hours despite this interruption. How can I respond?

Faculty should forego direct service or volunteer requirements and, instead, encourage students to complete reflection papers or engage in e-learning activities to approximate the engaged components of their classes, as disciplinary accreditation requirements permit. Recommendations for service learning courses can be found here.

Access to Technology

How will I know whether students lack access to the internet and/or to a computer?

UITS is surveying students at all IU campuses to determine levels of access. Students will be guided to access free or low-cost internet service to the extent feasible.

What if I or my students cannot access VPN?

Zoom and Canvas do not require VPN access. It’s fine to use them without securing a VPN connection.

Grading Questions

Do faculty need to maintain grading scales (e.g., weights of major categories of assignments on syllabus) or is there flexibility to alter these in light of assignment substitutions?

Flexibility is encouraged, subject to disciplinary accreditation parameters. For example, two assignments might be integrated into one, or a group project may be adapted to be weighted less heavily than originally intended given constraints on collaborative activity.

Can I use an “S” grade rather than a letter grade to provide more flexibility in grading?

A special “S” grade has been developed that can be used for extenuating circumstances, such as the pandemic. However, this should be used on a case-by-case basis in consultation with academic advisors given that some students (international students, athletes) are not advised to receive S grades^[1].

Assessment Questions

How will we accommodate exams, particularly with large lecture-based courses?

We are exploring a variety of technology options but no determinations have yet been made. We encourage faculty, whenever possible, to use timed, open-book assessments with the Canvas quiz tool (i.e., more low-stakes assessments, rather than a high-stakes midterm and/or final exam).

How can we conduct performance-based assessments?

Use virtual or e-learning alternatives, whenever possible. Some students, particularly in courses subject to disciplinary accreditation constraints, may need to receive grades of Incomplete (I) and complete the assessment(s) after the course has ended.

Final Exams

In departments with a common departmental final exam, can instructors be given leeway to create their own exams to accommodate the shift to online?

Maximum flexibility is recommended, even if this means not using a common final this semester.

Are final exams ALL to be conducted remotely?

Unless there is an essential performance-based component, all finals should be conducted remotely. For performance-based finals, we are exploring all options and will prioritize any in-person assessment for students slated to graduate this May. Any in-person assessment must be scheduled to ensure social distancing and the testing facility must be appropriately disinfected between examinations.

How will we accommodate final exams, particularly with large lecture-based courses?

We are exploring a variety of technology options but no determinations have yet been made. We encourage faculty, whenever possible, to use timed, open-book assessments with the Canvas quiz tool (that is, more low-stakes assessments, rather than a single high-stakes midterm and/or final exam). Smaller classes should consider assigning papers or projects in lieu of examinations.