Options for Course Continuity During a Campus Flu Outbreak

There are a number of online tools available through ella to keep classes going during a campus flu outbreak, should one occur. Your RIS Liaison can help you get started with any of the resources listed below as well as offer assistance in exploring other options.

• Experiment beforehand with the ella tools mentioned below. Note: many of the tools do not appear by default on your course site but need to be activated by clicking on the Site Info Tool and then clicking the Edit Tools box.
• Have a communication strategy; tell your students where to find course information. If using ella, make sure that you “publish” your ella course site so that students can see it.
• If you haven't already, post your syllabus on your ella course site. Ella offers the option of either composing the syllabus online or uploading a Word or Adobe pdf document.

Announcements – Inform students quickly of class schedule changes and other developments with ella’s Announcement Tool, use the Email Archive Tool to send out an email message to all students registered in the class, or the Mail Tool to send messages to certain groups of students. For more routine class events, consider using the Schedule Tool.  

Lectures – Post your notes and slides to the Resources Tool on ella. You can even record a narration to go with slides in PowerPoint for your students to download and view. Advantage: Students can listen to your lecture at a time of day more favorable to their circadian rhythm.

Handouts - Take advantage of the LITS Digitization Center to upload online articles and scan printed resources (articles, book chapters) to create an E-Reserve tool on your ella course site.

Small Group Discussion – Use the ella Chat Tool for real-time text conversations. Advantage: The text medium allows everyone’s ideas to be heard equally without interrupting others.

Large Group Discussion – Use ella’s Forum Tool to post discussion topics and then require students to respond to you and to each other. Advantage: You have a written record of your class discussions.

Collaborative Work – Use the ella Wiki Tool to allow students to create documents collaboratively. Advantage: You can see the editing process and understand what individuals are contributing to the group.

Research Seminar – Schedule a library instruction session for the class with your RIS liaison. (You do not need to be present during the session.) The liaison can also prepare an online research guide that can be linked to the ella course site for students who are absent from the session.

Labs - Arrange alternate activities in place of the lab (your RIS liaison may be able to suggest online activities or simulations to address the teaching goals for your lab).

Turning in Assignments – Use ella’s Assignment Tool or the Drop Box Tool to collect assignments electronically.  Check out our handout on fostering student writing in ella. Advantage: You can easily keep track of who has handed in what.