August/September 2009
:: Learning Technologies
a monthly newsletter about learning, teaching, & technology
from the Reinert Center for Teaching Excellence

: Teaching in the Time of H1N1

As predicted by health officials, the H1N1 virus (aka Swine Flu) has picked up steam throughout the summer. Outbreaks closed several US summer camps, and the virus has already shown up at some universities this month. If we experience an outbreak at Saint Louis University this fall, you can utilize the Blackboard course management system to help ensure your course isn't completely derailed. However, if you plan to utilize Blackboard, you must do some advance planning. Here are some steps you should take now so you'll have everything in place if you need it.

Develop a Plan
If Blackboard isn't already a regular part of your instructional strategy, you'll want to:

• Verify that a Blackboard course shell exists for your course. Your administrative assistant is the first point of contact in course creation; it's a process they perform within Banner.
  
• Arrange for Blackboard training. The Reinert CTE offers traditional seminar-style training, online training or one-on-one consultations. We can also arrange customized training for your department.

Once you have an overview of the available tools, you need to consider what would happen if you are the one who falls ill and what would happen if you have a large number of students out with the flu. How would you present course materials and how students would work with the material?

In a lecture style class, you might consider creating narrated PowerPoints or audio files. If you don't want to create these files for every single lecture, make them supplemental material that will be relevant to plug into the course. For example, this would be an excellent way to present a guest speaker you've recorded in advance. Lectures could be followed up by a class discussion using the discussion board tool, individual writing assignments or a short quiz using the quizzing tool.

In a seminar style course, you can use the library's electronic reserve system to post articles or book chapters that the students can discuss on the Blackboard discussion board. To make things simple for the students, create a link to the ERes system from within Blackboard. Of course, you can link directly to materials already available online from within Blackboard.

Be sure you develop policy concerning how ill students will make up assignments or exams they've missed. Blackboard has a tool that will allow you to post and collect your assignments online. For exams, you can use the Blackboard quiz tool to develop a question database. Quizzes can be easily customized to deliver different questions or questions in randomized order.

Communicate The Plan to Your Students
Communicating your plan to students in advance of it being needed is just as important as developing a plan.

• Consider including a statement about your plan and illness in your syllabus. If you are utilizing Blackboard be sure to tell the students that course material will be posted there.
  
• Stress the best way for your students to contact you if they are ill or have an emergency.
  
• Make sure you have contact information for your students. It's a good idea to keep this information at home. You might pass around a sheet of paper the first night of class, and ask students to list their name, e-mail and phone number.
  
• Encourage your students to get to know each other and share contact information if they are comfortable doing so.

Resources
Blackboard @ Saint Louis University: http://blackboard.slu.edu

The staff at the Reinert Center for Teaching Excellence is available to help individual faculty or academic departments develop emergency academic plans. Contact Sandy Gambill at gambill@slu.edu or 977-7202 for more information.

Upcoming Event
Snow Days, Sick Days and Conferences: How to Keep Your Class Moving Forward When You Can't Be There.

October 5 from Noon to 1:30 in BSC 254
or
October 9 from Noon to 1:30: Participate live online through a webcast utilizing Wimba Classroom. October 9 from Noon to 1:30

Registration required for both sessions.

Did someone forward this copy of Learning Technologies to you or are you reading it through the Reinert CTE's web site? Contact Sandy Gambill at gambill@slu.edu to ensure monthly delivery directly to your own e-mail account.

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