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Keep Teaching

Keep Teaching: Frequently Asked Questions

Planning for the Upcoming Term

What is the current tuition and fee structure?

  • Tuition for online courses will remain at the current rate, which is the base in-state tuition rate per student credit hour (SCH) for undergraduate and graduate courses. College/departmental non-online fees will also remain at their current rates.
  • Global Campus and college/departmental online fees are being suspended. Instead, students will pay a single standard reduced online fee of $70 per student credit hour (SCH).
  • With the shift to remote teaching, we have also eliminated fees typically charged to campus-based students, including the Campus Privilege Fee, and the Academic Infrastructure Fee.
  • For a full schedule of tuition and fees, please see the spring 2021 web page on the Cashier's website.
What courses or programs, if any, are excluded from the tuition and fees model?

The following programs are excluded from the new fall school tuition and fees model:

  • Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
  • Master of Agribusiness (MAB)
  • Master of Psychology with an emphasis in Industrial and Organizational Psychology (MIOP)
  • The Community College Leadership Program (Roueche program)
  • Professional MBA program
  • University Engineering Alliance (UEA)
  • AG IDEA programs
  • Great Plains IDEA programs
  • Contractual Market-Based Education (CMBE) courses

These programs are excluded because they are a professional program, based on a cohort model or are part of a multi-institutional agreement with pre-set tuition and fees.

What services will be provided by Global Campus to support the transition of courses to online delivery?

To assist faculty in transitioning new courses to the online modality, the Online Course Design Institute has been created by a partnership between Global Campus, the Teaching and Learning Center, IT, the Polytechnic Campus, and other university partners.

This institute, which replaces K-State Online Essentials (previously offered to faculty) includes a comprehensive checklist to guide the course design process and is customizable to each instructor’s experience and comfort level.

For more information, continue to explore the Keep Teaching website or contact Katie Linder at kelinder@k-state.edu.

What resources are available to help me transition my lab (or another experience-based course) online?

The newly developed Online Course Design Institute will support your efforts in transitioning labs and other experience-based courses online. Instructional designers are also available for one-on-one consultations. Please continue to explore the Keep Teaching website for more information and to schedule an appointment or email gcid@k-state.edu.

How will classrooms be cleaned?

Please see this resource on health and safety in the classroom on the K-State COVID-19 website.

What online proctoring is available?

Our testing and proctoring centers will have reduced capacity this academic year. To meet student need for accommodations, we need your help to reduce demand for testing and proctoring in-person services by:

  • Replacing high-stakes exams with alternative assessments, when possible. There are resources available to assist you in adjusting your assessment measures.
  • Administering your exams through Canvas.
  • Exploring a remote proctoring solution with the understanding that remote proctoring costs are the responsibility of the department/college. Most colleges are using Examity for remote proctoring, but others have signed up for Respondus’ service. Please contact your department head or associate dean for more information on remote proctoring services available.

We must comply with ADA regulations by providing testing accommodations to students who need them. Encourage students to request these services through the Student Access Center (SAC) in a timely fashion. If the SAC is not able to administer a same-day exam due to limited resources, please be understanding, flexible, and assist the SAC in ensuring students receive accommodations. If you have any questions about the testing and proctoring centers, please contact Jeannie Brown Leonard, brownleonard@k-state.edu.

You can also refer to the Keep Teaching website for alternative assessment resources and virtual sessions on the topic.

Where can I find the most up-to-date syllabus statements for my classes?

Syllabus statements can be found on the Office of the Provost website.

Are there any changes to the K-State Employee Tuition benefit or the K-State dependent/spouse grant?

No, the K-State Employee Tuition benefit and the K-State dependent/spouse grant are not impacted.

How does this affect the development of Global Campus courses already in the pipeline?

Courses that were previously approved for online development should continue as planned.

This transition seems like it will be a lot of extra work. What funding is available to help compensate me for transitioning my course online?

We appreciate that transitioning courses online takes time. However, no extra funding is being made available to compensate faculty specifically for this work, as this effort is in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

How are international students affected?

Learn more about Fall 2020 enrollment guidance for international students on the ISSS website.

International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) is in communication with the government regarding our campus’ plan. For further questions, have students reach out to their International Student Advisor. Contact information can be found on the ISSS website.

How does the move to an online-only format affect students' financial assistance?

Students enrolled in remote learning for fall 2020 are eligible for federal, state, and institutional financial aid.

Students are encouraged to visit with their financial aid advisor to discuss their situation and eligibility for financial aid.

How does the move to an online-only format affect students’ veterans' benefits?

Students may still be eligible for veteran’s benefits for online classes during the pandemic. Students are encouraged to visit with the Office of Veterans Affairs to discuss their situation and eligibility for benefits.

Getting Started with Remote Teaching

I don’t know where to start with moving my class online. What do I do, or who do I contact for help?

If you are brand new to remote and/or online teaching, read through the resources on this Keep Teaching website on the Preparing and Planning section as a starting point. You can also download the faculty checklist (PDF) that walks you through some initial steps to get started.
Can I record my lectures or labs in a physical classroom on campus?

Based on this K-State Today announcement, all campus employees are being asked to work remotely via telecommuting or other methods should do so as soon as possible starting Monday, March 16. This means that resources to support in-classroom filming will not be available and faculty and instructors should not plan to come to campus for in-classroom filming.
Can small classes be held that would allow social distancing in the classroom?

No. This time period should be used to clean and disinfect classrooms.
Instructors of record should be creative and adopt the best distance instruction approach that they feel will provide the optimal learning experience for the student.
Who can help me brainstorm different options for my classroom practices now that I’m transitioning to remote teaching?

The staff at the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) are ready to brainstorm with you about different options to help you achieve your course learning objectives. You can contact the TLC staff by calling 785-532-7828 or emailing teachingandlearning@k-state.edu.
What are some best practices with remote working?

Check out this K-State Today article and K-State's Remote Work Guide. Both have ideas and strategies for how to function well in remote work situations.

Remote Teaching Tips & Strategies

I teach a lab. What are my options for remote instruction?

Here are some options for revising how teaching occurs in lab courses for remote modalities:
  • Consider using demonstrations instead of live lab activities. Instructors can record themselves completing a lab and share that with their students. The recordings can be done simply (e.g., using a phone with a video camera). Instructors can supplement these demonstrations with voice narration or writing guidance for their students and can design assignments their students can complete demonstrating that they learned the objectives of the demonstration. You can contact Global Campus to learn more about methods for recording demonstrations.
  • Videos of labs may be available on social media (e.g., YouTube). Instructors can use these in place of the live experience as well. Quick Google searches on your topic of choice, may help you to find a range of options like this collection of effective biology YouTube channels. When needed, you may be able to adjust or revise your scheduled lab to one available online that covers similar learning objectives.
  • Open educational resources (OER) may provide materials and resources that can replace the live lab experience. You can explore OER collections such as MERLOT to find lab-related exercises and materials that may be appropriate for your discipline and course content.
  • Reach out to colleagues for advice. Currently, there is a comprehensive spreadsheet circulating that is broken out by discipline that has contributors from all over the world adding in resources for lab-based courses. There is a group in the Keep Teaching online community focused on labs (once in the community join “group” called “Content: LABS”).
  • Objectives of the lab course may be modified by instructors as appropriate. Where appropriate, consider shifting the content of your course to focus on other valuable and relevant areas of emphasis, such as science literacy and communication, or lab safety in place of live lab experiences. These videos from the Georgia Tech College of Sciences on lab safety are a great example of what’s available.
As a faculty member, what is the expectation for staying on schedule with my classes?

Faculty should provide course materials in a timely way so that students can access them if they want to follow their usual class schedule. If you are attempting to meet with students through a synchronous video session, keep that meeting time at the same time as your typical class to avoid creating conflicts with students' other scheduled courses.
What is the rationale for encouraging asynchronous teaching vs. synchronous?

While K-State's services can support synchronous online meetings, there is concern about student access from off-campus. If students do not have ready access to computers or cameras, they may not have the ability to zoom or use other streaming resources. Also, if their lives are disrupted by personal illness to themselves or others in their care, we can deliver accessible materials to them without requiring them to join us at a particular day and hour.

Student Support in Remote Learning Environments

What if I have questions about providing accommodations with my new remote course?

Faculty who have questions about student accommodations should email the Student Access Center at accesscenter@k-state.edu. The Access Center staff will correspond with faculty over email and Zoom to answer questions.
What options do we have if students don’t have access to their textbooks or other course materials?

K-State Libraries can scan chapters from our textbook collection and request chapters from other libraries as well. The ability to fill requests is heavily dependent on the operations of other libraries, many of which are also reducing their operations. To maximize your chance of success, please request only those portions of books that you need.

To place a request for a chapter of a textbook, use the Interlibrary Loan request form. The library will work to get you a scanned copy either from our collection or another library.
Will K-State Libraries be open?

K-State Libraries will continue to provide the services and resources listed on the Continuation of Library Services page. Information will be added as it becomes available. Students and instructors should check this page frequently for updates.
Should faculty and other academic personnel ask students returning to class following an illness to provide documentation or a physician’s note?

The Provost has asked faculty to suspend any course policies requiring a doctor’s note to document illness.
I am an academic advisor. Should I work with my advisees remotely?

Yes. Academic advisors should work with their advisees remotely. Resources regarding remote advising are available on the Academic Advising website.
Will enrollment for summer and fall courses be impacted by the suspension of in-person courses?

Students will be able to enroll for summer and fall courses as scheduled. If you have not yet met with your academic advisor to plan your course schedule, please contact them. Some offices have adopted email, telephone, and Zoom connections for students instead of in-person meetings or appointments. Prior to visiting a university office in person, please call or consult the website to determine how to contact the office and schedule services.
If students can’t get to their textbooks, how can I help?

Several resources are available to you in this effort. The K-State Campus Store is offering:
  • Access to eBook versions of textbooks at no additional charge. Students can visit the campus store website to see if their textbooks are available as eBooks and access them at no additional charge with their .edu email address. They can access up to seven eBooks for the designated period.
  • Free access to Lumen Learning OER courseware. Lumen Learning, our campus store’s OER partner, is offering FREE access to courseware to help supplement content and offer additional resources to faculty.
  • Additional options are available to students for other needs.
Additionally, K-State Libraries can assist:
  • K-State Libraries can scan chapters from our textbook collection and request chapters from other libraries as well. The ability to fill requests is heavily dependent on the operations of other libraries, many of which are also reducing their operations. To maximize your chance of success, please request only those portions of books that you need.
  • To place a request for a chapter of a textbook, use the Interlibrary Loan request form. The library will work to get you a scanned copy either from our collection or another library.
What options are available for faculty who wish to scan or utilize materials from texts they have on hand?

In looking to scan or utilize material from texts that a faculty might have on hand and to keep in line with copyright law, consider fair use for each proposed use. There may be additional flexibility in fair use considering the current circumstances. Please see the following guidance, Public Statement of Library Copyright Specialists: Fair Use & Emergency Remote Teaching & Research”, for more information.
The Library has resource information related to using course materials in an online environment: Persons are allowed to use copyrighted materials without permission under the principle of fair use. Whether a particular use is "fair use" depends on several factors. Some ways to make fair use of materials while minimizing the use needed include:
  • Limiting access to materials only to students and instructors in a course.
  • Using the materials only for the period of time that is necessary under the circumstances, and then
  • Removing access to the materials.
  • Using only those portions of the materials that are necessary for instruction.
You can also link to materials, use public domain content, use materials licensed by the University for the particular use, use the Creative Commons License, and/or display materials without the ability to download in accordance with the TEACH Act. There is more information about each of these at the above Library resource site.

Once you have reviewed the guidance and determine you can scan or utilize material from texts that you already have on hand and adhere to copyright law, these scanning options may be helpful.

Also, consider open educational resources (OER). Please contact your subject librarian and they can help you find and access these and other resources.
How can I determine if a student has been active in my Canvas course?

See who has been active in your Canvas course through Course Analytics. Besides summarizing course activity and submissions, you can also view each student's activity in a course. Scroll down to the Student table and sort by Participations or Page Views to get a quick glance. Click on the student's name to view more details on that particular student. The small envelope icon next to their Current Total score launches a direct Canvas Inbox message to the student for a quick outreach opportunity. Once you are in a single student view, you can quickly navigate to other students with the Student List picker in the upper right of the page.

Assessing Learning in Remote Environments

I want to explore different options than a proctored exam. Who should I talk with?

The staff at the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) are ready to brainstorm with you about a range of alternative assessment methods that will help you to measure your course learning objectives. You can contact the TLC staff by calling 785-532-7828 or emailing teachingandlearning@k-state.edu.
Can scheduled final exams for online graduate students be conducted when the exam will be conducted via distance?

Yes, if the exam is scheduled to be held on campus, it should be rescheduled or special consideration should be requested. Address those concerns with the Graduate School.
What are some best practices for offering exams online?

The availability of proctoring services for online exams may be limited. The following tips are good practice for online exams and can help minimize the need for proctoring.
  • Exams, in general, can be anxiety-inducing. The change to an online modality will likely have students uneasy. Communicate detailed instructions for the exam upfront (including how many questions, types of questions, etc.) so students feel prepared going in.
  • Make your expectations clear to your students about allowable resources. Make clear to your students what resources they may or may not use while working on the exam (e.g., class notes, textbooks) and whether or not they may collaborate with each other. A lot of “academic dishonesty” can be prevented with clear instructions.
  • Consider allowing exams to be open-book/source and/or allowing collaboration with other students. Assume students will use resources while taking an exam, and even encourage them to do so. Consider asking questions that probe deeper levels of knowledge and understanding, enabling students to apply, assess, and evaluate concepts and facts in meaningful ways. Consider encouraging students to share and cite where they get information from and what resources they use. Consider encouraging them to work in small teams and asking them to include who they work with and in what ways.
  • Use question pools in Canvas so the questions can be randomized. As mentioned above, if students try to collaborate on an exam they are not able to as easily if the questions are populated in random orders.
  • Offer flexibility with the timing of your online exam. Students who are learning remotely may need flexibility for when they can take your exam, so consider offering a wider time frame for exam completion. This applies both to the window in which the exam is available as well as how long students have to take the exam.
    • Please remember to add extended time for students with this testing accommodation if you have received a letter of accommodation.
  • Limit feedback displayed to students. Instructors can limit what types of feedback are displayed upon completion of a test in Canvas. Providing test scores is important feedback that indicates how well students have performed and should be made available. However, instructors might reconsider whether to include “Let Students See the Correct Answers” as an option to be displayed or not to students. Consider showing answers only after all students have completed the exam. Do remember to allow students to see correct answers at some time so that they may learn from that feedback.
  • Consider the possibilities, but also the limitations, of using online testing services. Proctoring services may be costly or unavailable. Browser lockdown programs may not allow for accessibility.
  • Consider alternative forms of assessment to exams. The purpose of assessment is to allow students to demonstrate their learning. There may be methods (e.g., written assignments, activities, recorded oral presentations) that allow students to demonstrate their progress toward course learning objectives that circumvent many of the issues that will manifest with online exams.
If you will use online exams, consider these tips for creating exam items and formats:
  • If the exam has multiple choice answers, try to avoid “all of the above” answers. Canvas can scramble answer choices. Students don’t see the same answers/same order of answers so if they try to collaborate (using text, etc.) it cannot be done as quickly. Consider using items with only one correct answer.
  • When possible, include one or more subjective questions (e.g., short answer, essay). These questions typically draw on higher-order thinking skills and require students to showcase a greater depth of their knowledge.
  • Consider focusing on solving problems while showing work and explanations. In many cases, students may get the same answer, but showing their work reveals meaningful differences in understanding. Sometimes there may only be a few ways to show work, so you may ask for brief prose explanations, or have students record a video of them talking through the process to solve a question.
  • Consider question formats leading to essays, videos, pictures, and other personal responses. Consider having students express their learning through essays, videos, pictures, or other personalized forms of writing/speaking/communicating. Consider having students post their responses for each other and assess each other’s work through peer grading. Rubrics can help guide students as they develop such work, give each other feedback, and, provide a consistent method of assessment.
  • Consider using student-generated questions with explanations: Consider asking students to create their own questions with an explanation of how it would assess a certain topic or skill in a meaningful way.
Note: Some of these tips were provided by Purdue University’s resources for teaching remotely
What do I do if I suspect there has been an academic integrity violation in my class?

The Honor and Integrity System is still working to hold students accountable for academic integrity violations. If you suspect there has been a violation, please complete the Violation Report Form or you may email cjroberts@ksu.edu to discuss options.

What options do I have to sanction students this semester?

As with any semester, you may sanction a student up to an XF. This includes a warning, a grade sanction for the assignment/quiz, a grade sanction for the entire course, the Development and Integrity Class, or an XF (or a combination of these sanctions). Please note that a student who is found responsible for an Honor and Integrity violation during the spring 2020 semester will not be able to choose the A/Pass/Fail option for the course of violation.

Technical Support for Remote Teaching & Learning

Who can answer questions that I have about getting started with Canvas?

All classes 800-level and below already have a Canvas “shell” that is already populated with students registered for the course. There are several ways to receive support as you get started with Canvas:
Can IT help me set up technology in my home office?

No. IT staff cannot help you to set up technology in your home.
Who can answer questions for me about the handling of K-State documents and sensitive data that I need while working remotely?

If you have questions about sensitive data or documents, contact the IT Service Desk: Search the Knowledge Base, Submit a Ticket, or Start a Live Chat.
How can I set up VPN on my computer?

To get the VPN software, you must be a K-State student or employee with an active K-State eID and have an internet connection. For more information on how to install and connect to the VPN, view the following Knowledge Base articles.

VPN for Windows
Note: If you have Trend Micro antivirus installed on your Windows computer, you MUST uninstall it before installing GlobalProtect VPN. K-State no longer supports trend Micro antivirus. To learn more about K-State's approved antivirus software, view the K-State Antivirus Software webpage. VPN for MacVPN for LinuxLearn more about VPN at K-State
My internet access is spotty. What are some strategies to help maintain connection?

If your internet is spotty when working remotely, turn off the video and avoid the use of full-screen sharing or sharing your screen unless necessary.