This page will continuously be updated as information is made available.
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Instructional modes for January
UVic will be returning to offering in-person education beginning January 24, as planned. A number of resources have been developed to support the return to in-person class including:
Instructors who designed their course incorporating online elements for up to 1/3 of their course, as per the SCAG-approved guidelines, should remain consistent with their original course syllabus. The January 2022 two-week online start does not impact the remainder of their course.
Starting January 24, 2022, all instructors are expected to remain consistent with the course delivery mode as identified in the UVic timetable; however, there may be situations where high levels of student absences impact the planned in-person delivery of a course. In these situations, the instructor should consult and seek approval of the chair or director.
For example, with the chair or director’s approval, an instructor may:
- Temporarily move their course online in response to high levels of student absence, where maintaining face-to-face delivery would disrupt learning continuity and course delivery. The duration of online learning should be kept to a minimum but could exceed two weeks if beneficial to students.
Instructors may not:
- Preventatively move their course online in anticipation of absences or to meet their own preferences.
- Move their course online temporarily to manage short-term absences without the approval of the chair or director.
- Poll students on course delivery preferences and then implement changes based on results.
Chairs and directors have been provided with guidance on reviewing faculty and instructor requests for course delivery changes related to absences that uphold our commitment to providing as much face-to-face instruction as possible while also ensuring student accessibility.
Planning for in-person absences/illness
Consider planning for in-person class absences
With the return to in person instruction, it is recognized that absences may impact course delivery.
Student absences
The University Senate has approved a continuation of the waiver of medical documentation for academic concession for the Spring term; Instructors are advised to include this information on your syllabus (see below).
This Spring, instructors are likely to see an increase in student absences due to illness symptoms or self-isolation. Students who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 are expected to stay home and not attend class. Medical documentation is not required. As usual, instructors are responsible for providing course content to support these short term absences. Instructors may provide students with PowerPoint slides or other digital course materials, or offer to meet with students during virtual office hours to review missed session(s). While recording lectures is not required, recording lectures provides another option to support student absences and students find such recordings beneficial.
Although attendance is important, instructors are encouraged where possible to provide flexibility. If illness, accident, or family affliction causes a student to miss the final exam or to fail to complete any assignment by the end of the term, the student must submit a Request for Academic Concession. Policies regarding undergraduate student academic concessions and deferrals are also detailed on the Undergraduate Records site. For graduate students, complete the Graduate Academic Concession Form and submit it to your graduate secretary.
Instructor absences
Instructors may be absent or unable to deliver in-person classes because they are experiencing illness symptoms, or temporarily in cases where isolation is recommended by the BCCDC, or the instructor needs to care for an ill family member or to address extraordinary childcare and family circumstances at the discretion of the supervisor.
If an instructor is unable to teach in-person, they are required to notify their chair/director. In instances where an instructor is absent due to COVID-19 but not sick (and otherwise performing work duties), and with Chair/Director approval, an instructor may offer a course online to facilitate continued course delivery.
For more information, see our post on planning for in-person absences.
Online strategies for flexibility and accessibility
Knowing that absences are likely, use these strategies to maximize continuity in your course offerings and to support student flexibility and accessibility throughout the term.
In-person class recordings
University Systems has outfitted 135 centrally booked classrooms for basic recording of class instruction. These classrooms have a webcam and the ability to record instruction on the resident computer as well as digital content such as PowerPoint or document camera. Instructors can use the resident classroom computer installed in the room or their own UVic laptop for presenting.
Instructors are not required to record their classes. In the case of absences, you can encourage students to get notes from other students, provide students with PowerPoint slides or other digital course materials, or offer to meet with students during office hours to review miss session(s). While recording lectures are not required, students find recordings beneficial to their learning.
Echo360 will provide the learning technology support necessary for class recording. Lapel microphones are widely available in classrooms also equipped with a resident computer. These microphones include a lapel mic/clip attached to a body-pack.
In accordance with BC Privacy legislation, students should be informed if a class is being recorded and for what purpose.
Live-streaming and the participation of online students
The current classroom technologies do not allow for students to fully participate remotely, with the exception of the multi-access classrooms (HHB 110 and CLE A127).
If you are exploring options for connecting students virtually to the in-person classroom (e.g., students experiencing short-term absences), there are two possibilities for live-stream with limited capabilities for student interaction. Those options are Echo360 livestream, or Zoom.
Students joining remotely via Echo360 livestream or Zoom may not be able to adequately hear class discussions, questions, or student to student interaction. Without careful planning, it may also be difficult for instructors to monitor the in-person and online environment. Current solutions are limited and the use of the use of the resident computer is strongly advised. If you would like to discuss this further, consider contacting the faculty support teams at ltsisupport@uvic.ca.
Classroom masking guidance
In accordance with the Face Coverings (COVID-19) PHO Order, all students, faculty, staff and visitors are required to wear a mask in:
- Classrooms and study spaces including lecture theatres, teaching laboratories, art studios and shops, music and theatre facilities and other indoor instructional settings that are used for in-person educational programs.
- Common areas of buildings open to the public including hallways, lobbies, stairwells, elevators and bathrooms
- Other workplace areas that are shared or open to the public
Uvic Ambassadors will be present in buildings to promote, educate and assist the campus community on our return to campus safety measures. They will also have a supply of disposable masks available, if required, to support mask wearing in public spaces and classrooms.
Using lapel microphones in classrooms
Lapel microphones are widely available in classrooms also equipped with a resident computer. These microphones include a lapel mic/clip attached to a body-pack. They have been tested, and are suitable for use with a mask. The sound quality is adequate for room amplification and for class recording (in equipped classrooms).
Multi-access classrooms
Two multi-access classrooms (HHB 110 and CLE A127), have been outfitted with technology that instructors can use to teach both in-person and online attending students, synchronously. These rooms are equipped with technology that allows active participation in the class regardless of physical location as well as the ability to record the lecture if desired. Instructors are not expected to teach in two modalities (in person and online) simultaneously. Instructors teaching classes scheduled in these rooms can use as much or as little of the new technologies as necessary for the delivery of their course. The rooms have been developed, as it is important for UVic to begin establishing some capacity for instructors to teach in flexible modes should they choose to do so. These technologies can also help with supporting international students who may be delayed coming to in-person classes this fall.
Term Start Guide
This Teach Anywhere website is the primary resource for instructors and is regularly updated. We also host many learning and teaching workshops and events. Start your term strong with our Term Start Guide – an excellent starting place if you are planning a course this coming year.
UVic will be returning to offering in-person education beginning January 24, as planned. Instructors may also supplement their in-person delivery of courses with online or virtual elements (such as holding virtual office hours, conducting online quizzes, or posting recorded content). A well-designed Brightspace course site can serve as an effective backup throughout the term
Read our resource on interim strategies for livestreaming.
Need more assistance or support? Attend one of our workshops or events.
Assessments (exams, tests, quizzes, etc.)
There are a series of resources available to help you select your assessment strategies used in your courses including online assessments and alternatives to exams. Flexible assessment strategies are encouraged recognizing that within the COVID-19 context students may experience short-term absences.
Making your assessments accessible
Learning Experience Designers – Accessibility provide guidance and support to faculty/instructors in designing accessible learning activities, creating/ setting up accessible content and learning environments, and addressing the needs of learners with exam accommodations. You can connect with an LED-A through ltsisupport@uvic.ca, the academic accommodations form, or the Centre for Accessible Learning.
Changing course assessment modes from in-person to online
Online Assessment Room (OAR)
The OAR is a supportive invigilation environment for online, synchronous and timed assessments and exams. The OAR was used extensively in the completion of fall exams and specifically for students with academic accommodations. This space is available to be booked for students requiring an alternative assessment arrangement (e.g. to accommodate extended time, distraction free environment, time zone, illness, etc.)
Syllabus guidelines
Instructors can consult the syllabus guidelines for information on key elements of a course syllabus, including University statements related to Territorial Acknowledgement, academic integrity, student accommodations, class recordings, copyright and the waiver of medical documentation for absences for Spring 2022 (approved by Senate).
Use Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in developing your course
In designing your course and to save time, we encourage you to adopt principles of UDL to create more flexibility in your course to support the needs of our increasingly diverse complement of students. UDL is a research-based framework developed by the Centre for Applied Special Technology (CAST) that guides instructors to incorporate strategies for delivering instruction, reduce student learning barriers, and provides students with opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge in a variety of ways.
Supporting students with academic accommodations
A set of resources to improve accessibility is available to support all students, including those with academic accommodations. Notably, Echo360 includes automated captioning with an easy edit function as well as a notetaking feature that allows students to create time-stamped notes.
In the past year, we have heard repeatedly from students about the value of video recordings that allow them to review concepts and prepare for exams or other forms of assessment. While class recordings are not required, we encourage use of video where possible to support student learning.
Instructor support will continue to be available to assist with accommodations and exams in the fall. Three Learning Experience Designers—Accessibility are available to support the design and delivery of accessible digital content and assessments. The Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL) is the primary resource for questions about academic accommodations, including exam accommodations.
Supporting international students
There are international students who are experiencing significant challenges related to study permits and travel. In some academic areas, fully online courses have been developed to address the specific needs of international students. However, in other instances, students from travel restricted countries may be: arriving late in Canada, self-isolating into the start of class, or are unable to resume in-person classes until January 2022.
Instructors can help support the transition process of International students by being flexible and understanding. Many of the strategies instructors may use for short term absences may also be effective to support the transition of international students. For example, instructors can provide students with PowerPoint slides or other digital course materials, or offer to meet with students during virtual office hours to review missed session(s). While recording lectures is not required or expected, impacted students would likely find such recordings beneficial as they transition into the in-person environment. To successfully complete the course, the student must meet course requirements. It is important to be clear about what those core requirements are in the syllabus, so students can choose whether to stay registered in the course.
International Centre for Students is the primary resource for students transitioning to campus.
What supports do I have for learning technologies?
TA Training: Learning and Teaching Together with Technology (L3T)
There is training (5 hours) available for all TAs through LTSI. The training will focus on ensuring that TAs are prepared to use learning technologies and to support instructors in online, blended and face-to-face learning environments. This includes support for class recordings. Upon completion of this training, TAs will have access to a dedicated Brightspace site to support them further. The Brightspace site will contain resources, slide decks, recordings, and more. Compensation is available to support TAs in attending the training. Compensation is available through departments/VPAC to support TAs in attending the training.
How to access Learning and Teaching supports
Learning and Teaching Support and Innovation (LTSI) will continue to provide pedagogical and learning technology support to faculty and instructors through dedicated LTSI Faculty Support Teams. Each team consists of a Learning Experience Designer, Educational Technologist, LTSI Consultant, and Learning Technology Assistant co-op students. Support is available for teaching across all modalities (in person to online) and all tools in UVic’s learning technology ecosystem, including Brightspace, Zoom, MS Teams, OAC, iClicker, and Echo360.
