Teaching Strategies During Academic Disruptions

Canvas LMS myCourses

This is the Learning Management System for all the campuses. Every course has a course shell created automatically despite the type of the course you are teaching (online, face-to-face or hybrid). You should use Canvas as the predominant vehicle for teaching your course during any disruption.

Communicate Quickly and Clearly

• Post an announcement in Canvas with expectations, adjusted schedules, and how students should participate for the day.
  (Clear communication is a core requirement in remote‑learning scenarios.) 
• Encourage students to check Canvas regularly and verify their notifications are enabled. 

Organize & Publish Course Materials Promptly

• Add day‑specific instructions or materials in a clearly labeled module such as “Remote Learning.”
• Keep tasks manageable and aligned with your syllabus - workloads should remain realistic and within scope. 

Maintain Instructor Presence

• Offer a short check‑in, synchronous or asynchronous 
• Hold virtual office hours or be available for questions via Canvas messages.
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Ensure Accessible, User‑Friendly Digital Materials

• Use reliable browsers such as Chrome or Firefox to avoid Canvas compatibility issues—and remind students to do the same. 
• Provide alternatives for low‑bandwidth access when possible (short videos, PDFs, text‑based instructions).
• Ensure accessibility considerations remain intact for students with accommodation needs.

Clarify Submission Expectations

• Outline exactly how and where students should submit assignments in Canvas. 
• Set clear deadlines and explain what counts as attendance/participation for the remote day.
   

Teams Meetings Conferencing

Teams is a web conferencing tool that allows you to have a live classroom session with students when teaching online, and offers 24/7 support and online live training courses.  You can learn more about Teams in our MS Teams: Introducing Microsoft Teams Knowledge Base article. 

Getting to Know Teams Meetings

• If you are not familiar with Teams, consider requesting a short Teams Meetings training with Academic Technology Support & Training. 
• USNH has a campus-wide license for Teams which means every faculty, staff, and student may use it to host meetings and collaborate!

Scheduling Remote Sessions

• Remember, do not schedule class meetings during days and times the class was not originally scheduled to meet, and do not extend the meeting time. Students may be expected in another meeting, just as they would be in another classroom.

Keep Sessions Simple and Focused

• Prioritize clarity: keep the meeting agenda short so students facing disruptions can still follow. 
• Convert complex plans into one manageable activity when possible. 

Maintain Clear Communication

• Post expectations and links in Canvas before the meeting begins. 
• Try using the Microsoft Education LTI to schedule a session. 
• Notify students early about schedule changes and whether class will meet synchronously in Teams. 

Support Student Access & Safety

• Ensure students join with authenticated institutional accounts to maintain a safe meeting environment. 
• Record your virtual session and provide alternatives (recordings, notes) for students with connectivity issues. 

Use Teams Tools to Enhance Remote Engagement

• Use built‑in collaboration features (chat, file sharing, polls, breakout rooms) to keep the session interactive.
• Reference our article Teaching Online or Advising with Teams Meetings for a reference 
• Consider optional check‑ins or short Q&A periods to maintain presence and support. 

Kaltura Capture

Use Kaltura Capture to record asynchronous lectures (using audio and/or video, screen capture, or PowerPoint slides) and make those recordings available to your students. 

Keep Lecture Recording Simple and Consistent

• Use Kaltura Capture to easily record lectures from home or office using just your laptop.
• Choose whether to record your screen, presentation, and/or webcam depending on your course needs.
• Get started

Record Clear, Focused Content

• Keep recordings short and focused on essential concepts.
• Use screen recording for software demos, presentations, or guided walkthroughs.
• Test audio/video briefly before recording to ensure clarity.

Share Content Seamlessly Through Kaltura

• Upload videos directly to My Media and publish them to your Course Gallery for easy student access.
• Embed videos in Canvas modules for continuity.
• Learn more in the Kaltura Overview

Use Kaltura for Student Participation

• Collect student‑created videos (reflections, presentations, project updates) through Kaltura 
• Provide short instructions or a sample video to help students participate confidently during disruptions.

Microsoft Outlook

With Outlook email, you can access your faculty/staff email through the web or desktop application. The above link goes to myPortal, from where you can access Outlook and other Microsoft products. 

 Communicate Early and Clearly

• Send timely email updates about class adjustments or remote expectations to keep students informed.
• Use clear subject lines (e.g., “Snow Day Update – Remote Plan for Today”) to ensure messages stand out in inboxes.

Keep Your Inbox Organized for Fast Response

• Use Outlook rules, Focused Inbox, and folders to manage a high volume of messages during disruptions. 
• Let non‑essential messages wait so you can prioritize student needs during the disruption. 

Use the Calendar Effectively

• Update or reschedule meetings/class sessions promptly so students and colleagues see changes immediately. 
• Use Outlook as your primary scheduling tool to prevent sync issues across devices.​​​​​​

Maintain Professional and Consistent Communication

• Keep messaging courteous, consistent, and aligned with institutional disruption communications.
• Respond to urgent student messages promptly to support academic continuity. 

Microsoft Office 365

Office 365 gives you and your students access to current versions of various Office applications, such as Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint

 Keep Teaching Materials Accessible and Cloud‑Based

• Create, store, and share course files using OneDrive so students can access materials from any device. 
• Use shared documents in Word, PowerPoint, or OneNote to collaborate or provide updates quickly. 

Maintain Clear Communication Through Office 365 Tools

• If you leverage the Teams Application use announcements to keep students updated on schedule changes or remote expectations. 
• If you leverage the Teams Application or OneDrive/SharePoint @Mention students or colleagues in shared documents or Teams posts to direct attention to important information. 

 Support Remote Learning with Office 365 Apps

• Use OneNote Class Notebook or Forms for distributing quick assessments or collecting feedback. 

Use Office 365 to Stay Organized and Ensure Continuity

• Work from any device knowing materials remain synced and available even during campus closures.