Online/Remote Assignment Ideas

Videos on the Web

Consider having students watch videos you select e.g., documentaries, lectures, and discuss, analyze, or reflect on it. Short list of quality video collections on the web.

Use Quizzes Differently

Short, self-grading, low-stakes quizzes can be used in place of classroom activity. This type of quiz can keep students on track (and accountable) during campus closure. They can be used to make sure students are completing the readings and are understanding core concepts.

Revise Requirements for Research Papers and
Other Semester-long Projects

Students may not have easy access to campus resources to complete these types of assignments. Review the assignment requirements, and consider ways that you can alter the format but still achieve its learning requirements. For example, group projects may have to be changed to individual projects and presentations may have to be video submissions.

UVM Libraries are committed to supporting faculty and students to complete research papers. They have a number of existing online guides, tutorials and reference/research services to support remote learning. If the University does go into remote teaching mode, librarians can also work with faculty to create any additional online support they need for their courses. See this list of all instructional librarians and the colleges they support.

Online Written Assignments (Ideas from
UVM Writing in the Disciplines)

You may need to create new assignments to replace classroom activities, so consider adding additional written assignments that help keep students engaged. Select ways to keep students writing that match your most important priorities. For every writing activity you create:

  • Articulate goals and outcomes: Explicitly connect the activity to the overall course’s goals. Let students know what they are supposed to learn and how that learning will be evaluated.
  • Recognize students’ work: Your response and grading systems ensure that students know you see their work. Whether you’re counting posts, or inviting students to reflect on what they’ve learned, or whether you’re responding once a week to students’ postings, make sure that students know how their work is read and valued.

If you use peer review sessions during class, Eli Review, an online platform, can help (for free!). Eli has a simple interface that promotes focused reviews of work in progress. During Spring 2020, Eli Review will provide free access to any class disrupted by campus closure. Read more about Eli’s offer here. Contact WID for more information. wid@uvm.edu

Lab Courses

Teaching labs remotely will be difficult. Middlebury College has compiled a list of resources that may help you think through alternatives.