Depending on your course, you may need to deliver some lectures to keep the course moving along. It's not just about content: If a crisis is disrupting classes, lectures can mean more than just providing course content; they also establish a sense of normalcy and a personal connection. In online courses, we talk about the importance of "instructor presence", and that's just as true during short-term online stints. So, consider ways that you can use lectures to make students feel connected and cared about: acknowledgment of current challenges, praise for good work, and reminders about the class being a community. This effective work can help their learning during a difficult time. For any of these you will need the following equipment:
Device with a good internet connection, preferably hard-wired (laptop, tablet, smartphone)
Headphones or earbuds (optional)
Microphone (if possible; a separate microphone can be better than your device’s built-in mic)
Web camera (optional, preferred for face-to-face contact)
Record lectures into smaller, separate video lectures, organized by topic, idea, or skill. By watching video lectures of less than 15 minutes each, learners are more likely to maintain focus and retain key information.
PowerPoint workshop: Adding Narration and Automatic Timing (facilitated by Tim Jones, Buffalo State)
In order for Buffalo State to remain compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other guidelines, it is important to have all online videos accurately captioned. To do this faculty and staff need to store their videos in our Ensemble Media Server and complete the Request Captioning ticket in the ITPortal.
Student Accessibility Services (SAS) will continue to work with students and faculty to ensure that appropriate disability-related accommodations, including testing, are provided regardless of the course delivery method. Students who are currently receiving testing accommodations (extended time) should work with their faculty to implement that via Blackboard Learn. For all non-testing accommodations, please contact sas@buffalostate.edu to discuss your individual concerns.
Test Availability Exceptions within a Blackboard Learn test, options can be modified to reflect accommodations needed for specific students. These options can be used to allow multiple attempts, extended time, or different test availability dates to specific students.
Blackboard Ally Alternative Format allows students to choose alternative formats for their course content. If content creators upload PowerPoint or Word lecture notes and the student prefers an audio version of the notes, they can facilitate this with the click of a button. Accessibility options will include audio files, electronic braille, epub for e-book readers and mobile devices and html for viewing in browsers.
