Online Teaching Resources

The Online Teaching Resources page is intended to aid faculty in transitioning in-residence class sessions to an online setting. While inclement weather, health concerns, or conference travel can cause faculty to cancel a class session, it is helpful to also plan for a situation in which faculty may be absent or the campus is closed for an elongated period and instruction needs to continue as smoothly as possible.

Resources and tips for utilizing our learning management system, Desire2Learn (D2L), can be found on the Distance Learning office's D2L Tutorials Page and Brightspace's D2L Essentials Page, and he HR Professional and Organizational Development Resources for Working from Home provides additional strategies and suggestions.

The CETL Online Teaching Toolkit includes the resources below: discussion forums, instructional pages, and synchronous online workshops. Navigate by by clicking the links directly below or from the Online Teaching Toolkit tab near the top of the site.

The resources in the CETL Online Toolkit are intended to support faculty with guidance and suggestions. Faculty seeking training for qualifications should complete the Quality Matters training.

*NOTE: For information on preventing unwanted participants in a Zoom session, see the Holding Real-Time Virtual Classes page.

An archive of emails sent to faculty from the Vice President of TLSD

Strategies for designing an online course

Suggestions for communicating remotely

Technology information and suggestions for recording content

Information on technology platforms and practices for live online sessions

Tips for creating online discussions

Resources for collecting and grading assignments

Approaches to Holding Office Hours Online

Videos created by ECC faculty to show teaching approaches, using technology, that they've had success with

NOTE: While online and hybrid courses may be familiar to you and to your students, switching to remote and online teaching due to campus closures is likely to create uncertainty for you as a teacher and for your students. As with regularly scheduled teaching, it’s important to try things out, acknowledge challenges, and continue to communicate with your students and with your colleagues.

If you have questions or would like additional resources, please contact Tyler Roeger, Associate Dean of the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, at troeger@elgin.edu, or Tim Moore, Associate Dean for Instructional Improvement & Distance Learning, at tmoore@elgin.edu.

Past Workshop Materials and Recordings

Opening Day Fall 2020 TLSD Meeting

Designing for Accessibility

Facilitators: Pietrina Probst (Student Disability Services) and Tammy Ray (Distance Learning & Instructional Support) Maximizing the accessibility of course materials for all students should be a priority of all classes and becomes especially important when content is delivered online. This session will demonstrate practical steps to creating or revising electronic course materials to benefit all learners.
Webinar slides

Gathering and Responding to Student Feedback

Facilitator: Tyler Roeger (CETL), Gathering student feedback during a course is an important way to assess student experience and forefront students in the learning process. This session will focus on ways to methodically solicit and incorporate student feedback throughout a course.
Webinar slides

Leading Synchronous Online Class Lessons

Facilitators: Alison Douglas (English) and Colleen Stribling (English as a Second Language) This session will discuss strategies for designing and leading and facilitating synchronous online class sessions. The session will detail strategic approaches that might be used on any online platform and will explore particular features of using Zoom.
Webinar recording available here.

Library Support for Students and Faculty in These Times

Facilitator: Elizabeth Hultzman (Library) Description: This session will detail how the library and its services are operating fall 2020 and provide information on how the library can support online instruction and remain a consistent learning resource this fall. Come to learn about how the library can support faculty and students and bring any questions you have
Webinar slides

Preventing Cheating Through Assignment and Grade Design

Facilitators: Abby Bailey (Math) and Kellen Bolt (English) Maintaining academic integrity can be a major concern in teaching and can be exacerbated in online learning. This workshop will detail approaches to design (or redesigning) assignments and approaches to grading to prevent cheating.
Example Academic Integrity Policy StatementPreventing Cheating Cheat SheetSample Essay Prompt

CETL Summer 2020 Workshops

Creating Engaging Recorded Lectures- July 8

Facilitators: Chasity Gunn (English); Dan Kernler (Math)
Recording short lectures is one way to provide instruction in online courses. This synchronous workshop will feature suggestions for design lectures with student engagement in mind and will demonstrate some tools for recording audio or video go along with slides. Whether you are very confident with recording lectures already or are brand new to it, you are invited to participate.
Webinar recording available here. Note that the recording begins a few minutes into the workshop.
Webinar Slides.

Facilitating Asynchronous Active Learning- July 16

Facilitators: Ryan Kerr (English); Angelika Stachnik (Medical Imaging)
This synchronous workshop will focus on approaches to creating and facilitating asynchronous online discussions and supporting students in other asynchronous collaborative work. The goal is for all faculty in attendance to leave the session with ideas for facilitating discussion and the knowledge behind the types of discussions to use in different contexts.
A link to join this online session via Zoom will be sent to everyone registered prior to the session. The session will be recorded and made available to everyone at ECC via the CETL site following the initial date.
Webinar recording available here.
Webinar Slides.

Academic Integrity: Preventing and Responding to Cheating- July 22

Facilitators: Abby Bailey (Math); Kellen Bolt (English); John Long (Student Success & Judicial Affairs); Tyler Roeger (CETL)
Maintaining academic integrity can be a major concern in teaching and can be exacerbated in online teaching. This synchronous workshop focuses on ways to design or redesign assignments to prevent plagiarism and cheating. By considering the most common reasons that students cheat as well as assignment design rather than monitoring technology, this workshop takes a preventative and holistic approach. We will discuss assignment design approaches for various disciplines with the goal of all faculty leaving with ideas for how to design or redesign their own assignments.
A link to join this online session via Zoom will be sent to everyone registered prior to the session. The session will be recorded and made available to everyone at ECC via the CETL site following the initial date.
Webinar recording available here.
Webinar Slides.

Leading Synchronous Online Lessons- July 29

Facilitators: Tyler Roeger (CETL); Colleen Stribling (English as a Second Language)
This synchronous workshop will discuss strategies for leading and facilitating synchronous class sessions. The session will detail strategic approaches that might be used on any online platform and will detail particular technical features of using Zoom.
A link to join this online session via Zoom will be sent to everyone registered prior to the session. The session will be recorded and made available to everyone at ECC via the CETL site following the initial date.
Webinar recording available here.
Webinar slides.

ePortfolios as a Teaching Tool- August 5

Facilitators: Laurie Roberts (Career Services); Tyler Roeger (CETL)
Electronic portfolios (ePortfolios) are an approach to designing and collecting assignments that, among other benefits, encourages student self-reflection and emphasizes employability. This synchronous workshop will explore several of the benefits of using ePortfolios for any discipline or course level and will feature a panel of faculty who will discuss and show their experience with using ePortfolios in their courses and programs.
A link to join this online session via Zoom will be sent to everyone registered prior to the session. The session will be recorded and made available to everyone at ECC via the CETL site following the initial date.
Webinar slides.

ECC Remote Teaching and Teaching Continuity Links

Instructional Technology and Distance Learning Teaching Continuity Strategies Page: provides resources on using D2L to facilitate learning

Content Accessibility Resource Guide for Elgin Community College: provides an overview of accessibility in higher education and includes detailed instructions for 1) Creating accessible documents (Begins on page 29) 2) Creating accessible videos (Begins on page 30) and includes Additional accessibility resources (Begins on page 31)

HR Professional and Organizational Development Resources for Working from Home: provides links to several short articles and videos on maintaining productivity, hosting online meetings, and supporting struggling students

Technology Access for Students

District 300 compiled a list of internet options on this page.

The message below was sent to ECC students on March 18, 2020

Elgin Community College (ECC) is committed to supporting students who will be transitioning to alternative modes of instruction, particularly online, and to addressing the technology needs of ECC students to the greatest extent possible. As a result, this past Monday, March 16, the college began distributing Chromebooks and graphing calculators to students who do not have access to technology at home. The college will continue to check out Chromebooks tomorrow, Thursday, March 19, 2020 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Friday, March 20, 2020 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

As mentioned in the previous email, if you have access to online technology at home, the college’s priority is to distribute Chromebooks to your fellow students who do not have access to online technology at home. Please only utilize this service if you do not have access to a Chromebook or similar device.

If you need a Chromebook for online instruction, please come to the library tomorrow, Thursday, March 19 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. or Friday, March 20 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to obtain one. The Chromebooks will be available for students to check out from ECC’s Library (Building C) at the Circulation Desk on the 1st floor. Students will need to present their ECC photo ID card at the Circulation Desk to have the library barcode activated to check out items. You can also present a picture ID if you don’t have an ECC ID. You will be responsible for the cost of any items you borrow if they are not returned or damaged. All items will be due at the end of the semester. Please check out this link for more information on borrowing privileges and fines and fees.

Additionally, for those students requiring WiFi access, Comcast is offering new customers 60 days of FREE Internet Essentials service for low-income families who live in a Comcast service area.

  1. Please call the phone numbers provided (855-846-8376 English or 855-765-6995 Spanish)

  2. When you call the number, you will be asked for the following information:

    • Parent contact information (Name, address, etc)

    • School name, address and student ID#

    • And you will need to confirm that you are part of one of any of the following programs by simply saying YES (No documentation needed)

      • The National School Lunch Program (Free or reduced lunch)

      • MEDICAID

      • Public housing assistance

      • SNAP: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits

      • TANF: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

      • SSI: Supplemental Security Income

      • Head Start

      • LIHEAP: Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

      • WIC: Women, Infants, and Children program.

      • FEDERAL PELL GRANT

      • VA PENSION

      • Tribal assistance

  3. If you can answer YES to any of the above programs, you will be given two options to receive the equipment for the FREE 60 day internet

    • Pick up equipment from a local Comcast provider to set up on your own (quickest way to get access)

    • Set up an appointment to have a representative come out and set up the equipment for you.

If you are in need of a Chromebook or WiFi access, do not have these resources at home, and were unable to check out a Chromebook on Thursday, March 19 or Friday, March 20, please send an email to deanofstudentservices@elgin.edu. Please include your full name and student ID number as well as the resources you require, and we will see what we can do to help. Additionally, if you are aware of any students who are in need of this technology and may not have read this email, please immediately let them know about the availability of Chromebooks, graphing calculators, and WiFi access.

Lastly, it’s imperative that students regularly check their student.elgin.edu email for updates from the college. If you need assistance in accessing your ECC student email, directions are provided on the Elgin Community College Email Services web page or you can contact First Stop at 847-214-7570 or accessecc@elgin.edu.

External Remote Teaching Resources