Emergency Planning and Online Learning

<--- Use the menu to the left to access helpful resources to prepare ahead of time in the event of an emergency.

Communicating with Students

Blackboard is one part of the University’s emergency planning and could be used for continuity of learning in the event of a major disruption to regular instruction. Blackboard provides an easy way to communicate with students and, while the Provost’s Office hopes that faculty members will learn to use all of Blackboard's features, they are asking all instructors to take the few minutes necessary to learn to communicate with their students through Blackboard.

Learning Blackboard

Faculty are encouraged to attend a Blackboard basics orientation, held every Tuesday throughout the year, 12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Woods Classroom in Mortensen Library.  To register, email fcld@hartford.edu. Faculty whose schedule does not permit them to attend a Tuesday session may contact FCLD to schedule an alternate time.

Video Tutorials on Blackboard

Video tutorials and written instructions are available on the FCLD website under Teaching with Blackboard.

Posting a Syllabus

It would be helpful if instructors included a full list of the semester’s readings and assignments in their syllabus, so that any interruption in classes does not mean an interruption in what is expected of students. An example is shown below. Instructors are encouraged to upload their syllabi to Blackboard; this process requires just a few clicks and a submit button.

Syllabus Course Schedule

Week	Date	Topic / Lecture	Activity	Assignment	Due Date
1	1/22	Why study Mass Media?	Course overview and discussion	Read chapters 1&2  Short Essay 1	1/30
2	1/29	Media and Culture	Peer Review of Essay 1  YouTube Video:  Media and Society	Find music example for in-class discussion	2/5
3	2/5	Sound Recording and Popular Music	Discussion – share music examples, discuss marketing and effects of genre	Read Chapter 3  Discussion Reaction 1	2/12
4	2/12	Social Networking	Follow-up on Discussion Board topic	Meet with group, prepare topic proposal	2/19