The Elliott School’s Office of Online Education is responsible for providing Elliott School faculty and staff with resources and information regarding online education. The ESIA Online team provides one on one consultation, recorded instructional videos, and materials and guides related to online instruction.
Following best practices learned from the Master’s of International Policy and Practice, Elliott’s first online graduate program, we were able to facilitate the abrupt pivot to online learning in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Since March 2020, ESIA Online has been able to provide workshops, resources and guidance to both faculty and students on how best to achieve learning objectives in high-quality online environments. For access to some of our materials, please find resources grouped according to audience and topic below.
Based on GW's foremost priority of health and safety, the current spread of the virus and uncertainty about its trajectory, and feedback from the university community, GW announced that the university will continue virtual instruction in the spring, with limited exceptions for courses that require in-person instruction or research.
In this section, you will find links to helpful videos and readings to help with designing your course and your syllabus for online learning. When designing your course for online instruction, you may want to evaluate the learning objectives for your course, and how these might change for online instruction.
Key topics in this section include: Backwards Design Theory, Bloom’s Taxonomy, learning objectives, and global instruction.
In Backwards Design Theory, the key concept is to first think of the goals you want each of your students to achieve by the end of the semester, and then match readings and assignments to those goals directly. You’ll find that students will achieve greater learning outcomes when course materials are viewed within the lens of a “purposive goal.”
Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, What is Backwards Design Theory?. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. 1998.
Gollub, J. P. “Learning and Understanding Improving Advanced Study of Mathematics and Science in U.S. High Schools.” National Academy Press. Chapter 6, Learning with Understanding: Seven Principles.
The Teaching and Learning Center provides several online resources for writing course objectives, designing courses, and developing teaching strategies.
We've created a syllabus template to guide your syllabus development. We have also created an enhanced online Blackboard shell that includes widgets for both faculty and student support, and recommended formatting for course organization. Please email [email protected] to request the zip file for the Blackboard template to upload into your course. You may also find it in our Online Pedagogy Workshop page.
When designing your course for the fall, It’s important to consider where your students will be taking their courses. Are you teaching international students? We included a helpful guide for teaching GW international students which provides tips on how to incorporate global diversity into your classroom. This guide is provided by the English for Academic Purposes Office.
It is recommended to build out your live-sync sessions before the start of the semester, and test it out with family, friends, or colleagues. Here's how to get started:
Blackboard Collaborate
WebEx
How to Videos
The ESIA Online team recorded several technical workshops to provide technical assistance to faculty that are available upon request: [email protected].
In this section, you will find readings, videos, and helpful guides for encouraging student engagement and incorporating elements into your course that facilitate collaboration.
This section will address the following questions:
How do you create an online course that mirrors a face-to-face course in its ability to facilitate discussion, student interaction, and collaboration?
How do you build a sense of community when students and professors are engaging in the course from different parts of the globe?
Community Building
Utilize Discussion Boards in Blackboard
For a more institutionalized approach to community building, assign students to respond to weekly discussion prompts on Blackboard. Require that students respond to the prompt as well as comment on the responses of two (or more) peers discussion replies. Discussion prompts could include thoughtful questions on class material, or links to current news articles that reflect class topics in practice.
Utilize the Breakout Session Function in Blackboard Collaborate Ultra
During your live synchronous discussion, you can facilitate breakout sessions and build community among students groups by grouping them with the same peers for every session, or have them randomized each time so students connect with others in smaller settings.
Class Notes
Encourage students to start a shared Google doc or spreadsheet where they can write notes and contribute collectively. At the end of the semester, you can track and grade contributions so that no one “free-rides” on the notes of the group. Or you, you can leave it as an ungraded resource for students.
Group Projects
For group projects, you can facilitate groups by asking students to fill out a Google sheet that asks a series of questions (what are their top 3 areas of interest, the class topics which are the top 3 they'd be interested in working with given their areas of interest). Then group students based on their responses.
The University Teaching and Learning Center offers helpful guides for choosing the right tools based on the type of interaction and outcome you need. These guides help you decide which tool is right: discussion board, synchronous sessions, or group projects.
For further reading on synchronous interaction please visit the University Teaching and Learning website.
Keeping your course organized in Blackboard will help students find discussion boards and keep track of course materials including assignments, assessments, where to go for live synch sessions, and how to access course materials. Effective syllabus and course design help keep students informed of course expectations so that they can engage with course materials effectively. The ESIA Online Team developed a syllabus template and course templates for faculty to import into their Blackboard courses. If you would like to request the Blackboard course shell, please email [email protected].
This section addresses the following objectives:
Mini-lectures that you create are a great way to personalize your course and update content. They can be done as video or as audio. Video, of course, lets students see you and what you're talking about, from charts and graphs to photos and movies of people, places, and things. But, don't rule out audio. If you don't need the graphics to illustrate your content, an audio podcast is easy to make and edit and gives students something they can easily listen to on their mobile device.
This brief video from GW's Health Sciences IMPACT Initiative team focuses on tips for producing a strong presentation that promotes learning from video, but the same planning process applies to audio recordings.
Use this Teaching with Technology Matrix provided by LAI to quickly match the most common teaching functions (what you want to in your class) with the appropriate online tool.
There are so many easy-to-use tools available for creating your own short videos. Here are a few ideas to get you started. Two other ways to get help are searching online for tutorials and visiting GW's Instructional Technology Lab for one-on-one instruction.
Echo360 and Narrated Powerpoint Presentations are the two recommended methods for recording in class lecture videos.
To Create a Narrated Powerpoint with video:
To Use Echo360 (recommended method for Welcome Videos):
ESIA Video Editing Workshop:
Did you record a lecture or film a guest speaker in your class this semester and wish you could use it again? Please join us for our Video Editing Workshop that will help you preserve the best moments of your classes this semester, so that you can use them towards future classes.
Upcoming Dates and Topics:
Use the following information to access all three sessions:
Zoom Guest Link; Meeting ID: 944 1031 5287; Passcode: 9p860u
Additional guides and instructions for creating recorded lectures:
Create Do It Yourself Videos:
Create Lectures with Personal Capture:
ESIA Online Expert Media Inventory
You can access over 200 studio-produced expert videos that feature ESIA faculty and invited practitioners to add to your course. Please reach out to [email protected] for a list of topics and video links.
Open Source: Free Online Videos from Harvard
With many colleges holding their fall classes online, professors at other institutions are making their course materials shareable with their colleagues. For example, professors at Harvard university and Duke university have allowed us to use their free video lecture content in our classes. Check with other professors in your network to see if others have also created sharable content that you can use in your classes.
If you find a good resource worth sharing, please pass it along to [email protected] and we will make it accessible in our Pedagogy Workshop page on Blackboard.
This section will address the following topics:
Evaluating assignments and assessments relative to their learning objectives
Using assignments and assessments as learning tools
Designing and crafting assessments in Blackboard
Classroom assessment techniques (CATS) help individual teachers obtain useful feedback on what, how much, and how well their students are learning. They can be used as stand-alone activities or alongside larger activities to help refocus your teaching in process.
The GW Library's Instructional Core website provides tips and resources for implementing CATs in the classroom.
In general, we recommend considering the goals and objectives you have in mind for your course, and weigh some of the "standard" assignment and assessment practices against those goals. For example, in introductory or foundational learning courses could students do rewrites of papers based on useful feedback? What benefit would a take-home exam have to a time-restricted one? Do your course policies reflect the course objectives (for example, if professionalism is an important soft skill you’d like your students to build during the course, try instituting strict late policies on papers or assignments, etc).
GW has acquired a Zoom license, and rolled out access to Elliott faculty as of October 8th. Faculty can find more about the acquisition and access Zoom at this site (https://it.gwu.edu/zoom), and will also find that Zoom is fully integrated with Blackboard, meaning that class sessions can also be hosted on Zoom.
For directions on how to use Zoom in your Blackboard course shells, please see the guides below:
Zoom Events:
Faculty may host Zoom meetings with up to 300 attendees.
A limited number of licenses, called Webinar licenses, for meetings with up to 500 attendees are also available upon request by writing to [email protected] and requesting a license at least one business day in advance of your meeting.
Faculty that want to host an event larger than 500 people that they use Webex Events which allows for up to 1,000 attendees (and can be extended to 3,000 attendees for University wide events. GW IT may need as much as a week's notice to assign a Webex Event 3000 license but it can be done as long as there are not more than 2 simultaneous large events at the same time.
More instructional support from GW’s Instructional Core:
Looking for inspiration or support for your virtual teaching? GW’s Instructional Core has many upcoming options as you conclude fall semester and look toward spring. Read on to learn about:
Dates for upcoming FLEX Camps:
Student and Community Feedback
GSS has been meeting monthly with student organizations, and three key pieces of feedback have stood out:
Students are also looking to faculty to help facilitate connections within cohorts, among students, and create an environment that would foster these interactions.
Suggested remedies: assign group projects, encourage students to exchange contact information, and rely on each other in their coursework.
Some ideas: assign two students to introduce weekly readings in live sync sessions, start shared Google Docs where students can contribute notes and ideas, allow students to relate class materials to everyday culture, including through music, through film, through fiction, etc. or assign a “fun” assignment where students can explore how course material relates to their daily lives.
ESIA Online on-call hours: Tuesdays from 4:00 -6:00 pm, and Thursdays from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. Please contact [email protected] to make an appointment.
GW Libraries and Academic Innovation provides a range of resources and support for online teaching and learning, including helping faculty identify high quality digital course materials Most departments have a dedicated concierge team ready to help with digital course materials and more. Faculty can find their concierge teams on the GW Libraries website, and if their department is not listed or if a faculty member has been, or is already working with, a specific librarian, they may contact that individual for assistance with course materials or make an appointment with the research consultation team.
The Library's Instructional Core has many resources for the virtual learning period. Specifically, you can access their virtual workshops on various topics, OR schedule technology consultations with them.
Instructional Technology Lab
Hours: Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Phone: (202) 994-0485
Email: [email protected]
Any student who may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the Office of Disability Support Services (DSS) to inquire about the documentation necessary to establish eligibility, and to coordinate a plan of reasonable and appropriate accommodations. DSS is located in Rome Hall, Suite 102. For additional information, please call DSS at 202-994-8250, or consult visit the DSS website.
Consult GW's Office of the Registrar for questions about registration, transcripts, academic calendar, and more. They can be reached at [email protected] or (202) 994-4900.
Enrollment and the Student Experience offers other various student support services that may interest you. These range from military and veteran services to housing to career services. They also can be reached on (202) 994-6710 or [email protected].
Students can utilize a variety of resources and services for off-campus students. View more options for making a consultation appointment and for evening and weekend assistance at the GW Libraries Ask Us page.
In order to support your research efforts, we have compiled a list of resources below. Please review these resources as part of this orientation, but also remember to come back to them throughout the semester as you need.
All learners must make well-informed decisions about digital resources and use them responsibly in order to locate, curate, and present information appropriately. Find out how resources at GW can support you as a proficient user of digital resources:
| Learners in an online course should be able to: | GW resources to consult: |
|---|---|
| Search online libraries and databases to locate and gather relevant scholarly information for academic work |
Access video tutorials and other information that can answer student research questions on applying better library search techniques and using specific library services Search GW library databases for information to support your research. You can:
|
| Critically evaluate and determine the credibility of information sources found online. | Consult guidelines from the GW Library for tips on how to critically evaluate sources. |
| Use various computer networks efficiently to locate and store individual or shared files for a course | Learn about supported backup and storage options from GW Information Technology. |
| Use Web-based search engines to locate academic resources using appropriate criteria, keywords, and filters |
Learn more about library services for off-campus students Visit the GW Libraries' Ask Us Desk. You can call, IM, email, or make a research consultation appointment (available by phone, web, conferencing, or in-person). |
| Prepare a presentation of research findings using an individual software program and/or collaborative tools | Current, active GW community members can avail themselves of GW's subscription to Lynda.com. Lynda.com's self-help video training covers a wide variety of topics. |
| Protect user profiles and accounts (e.g., email username and password) by learning about proper security and privacy guidelines and good practices | GW Information Technology is the university's central technology support unit. They are available on [email protected] or (202) 994 4948. Learn more about information security on their training page (see IT Security Awareness Sessions). |
|
Exercise full academic integrity when utilizing digital resources. This includes:
|
Consult this practical Research Guide about Plagiarism: What it is and how to avoid it. Sign up for RefWorks, a citation software tool that helps save and organize citations and create bibliographies in any citation style. |
Receive information about emergency preparedness and response from Campus Advisories at GW as well as updates regarding the University's operating status. Check the website provided for helpful updates or call (202) 994-5050.
During Spring 2020 we needed to react quickly and transition courses from on campus to online within a matter of days. For Fall 2020 and moving forward, the Elliott School, in conjunction with GW Library’s Instructional Core team, developed a series of workshops and instructional resources to help all faculty develop their courses for hybrid and online settings. In addition, Elliott launched the Flex-Start program, where selected courses from each program went through a full online course design process in which faculty members and instructional designers worked closely together to tailor a highly engaging online course. All faculty further received a newly developed teaching guide with many helpful tips and resources, received access to an online course on how to develop and facilitate online courses, and had the opportunity to attend several workshops and trainings.
Faculty have been guided to record their lectures, so if you are experiencing connectivity issues, you can view them at another time. In addition, both Blackboard Collaborate Ultra and WebEx have both call-in and mobile features, where you can gain access to your live-sync session through your mobile device. Faculty have also been guided to be as flexible as possible during these unprecedented times.
Please start by contacting your academic advisor to discuss any changes to your academic plan and impacts to the completion of your degree. Students should then check with the Office of Graduate Admissions regarding Elliott School funding and the Office of Student Financial Assistance regarding federal financial aid. International students should contact the International Services Office for potential visa implications as well.
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) has created a comprehensive Toolkit and mental health Self-Help resources for specific populations related to COVID- 19. CAPS is available to provide support to students. Call 202-994-5300 and press 2 to speak to a CAPS clinician during regular business hours (Mon-Fri. 8:30am-5p). Crisis support is available 24/7.
A full range of academic support continues to be offered virtually. Tutoring and course review sessions through Academic Commons will be offered in an online format. Academic Commons also offers several short videos addressing different virtual learning strategies for the unique circumstances of the virtual learning environment. They also offer a variety of live virtual workshops to equip students with the tools they need to succeed in a virtual environment. Writing and research consultations will also be available online.
Coaching, offered through the Office of Student Success will also be available in a virtual format.
Our Elliott School Undergraduate Advising and Graduate Advising teams will also continue to provide academic advising and career coaching support through virtual appointments, drop-in hours, workshops, and events.
Disability Support Services (DSS) is available to assist students in need of additional support or access to online classes due to a health condition. Students must register with DSS to access their services. Students who are already registered with DSS, but need an additional accommodation due to virtual learning must submit an additional request.
Both the reading and speaking exams will be conducted virtually, as they were in the Spring 2020 and Fall 2020 term. Registration information will be communicated from Graduate Student Services (GSS). Contact GSS with any questions at [email protected].
While some students enjoy the online format, others may feel that online learning is more difficult or just not for them. Much like with classroom learning, virtual learning requires a specific set of skills to be successful. Even if you didn’t master those skills in earlier classroom experiences, you can be successful in virtual learning with a little guidance.
Academic Commons has a range of videos to help students establish a foundation for success in your online classes. These include:
Academic Commons is also offering a series of live workshops on virtual learning, including:
You can also request technology assistance including hotspots, loaner computers, and more through CARES emergency funding.
Visit the Academic Commons website for additional resources and assistance with virtual learning.
1. Self-direction leads to success
Online classes can feel self-paced and fluid, so there is an extra emphasis on professionalization and accountability. Be prepared to take the initiative in your own learning journey- set aside designated times in your schedule to read course materials, watch any assigned videos, and work on assignments.
2. Time management
Map out due dates for each module and have a plan for completing your assignments each week. Avoid procrastination by prioritizing your tasks and complete them based on their order of importance. Setting up a calendar at the start of the semester that holds all the due dates for your classes is a great way to plan and prepare.
3. Ask for help when you need it
Be sure to reach out to your classmates and your professors when you have questions. You’re in this together and your instructors are here to help you succeed. If you are having trouble with technology, be sure to reach out to the IT Help Desk as soon as possible. The IT Help Desk can be reached at 202-994-4948 and [email protected].
4. Learn and Adapt
Identify the hours when you do your best work and adjust your schedule accordingly.
Reach out to your peers and share phone numbers. Your classmates will become part of your network of experts after you graduate, so you can use this time to connect with your peers.
Ask your professor if they would be willing to facilitate a semester-long class challenge. Ask to suggest organizations and vote on which one to collectively support. For example, you and your classmates can pledge to walk a certain amount of miles for a good cause, or write letters to pen pals in nursing homes or orphanages, etc.
Ask your professor if you can propose “experiential learning” to supplement assignments. For example, ask to interview relevant family members or people in your network who may be able to contribute substantively to class topics. Suggest a “walking tour” of your home city, and point out relevant buildings, monuments, and notable landmarks that may bring class materials to life.
Be an active participant by ensuring that your learning environment is free from distractions, especially during your live sync sessions. Participate in discussion boards by providing thoughtful responses to your peers and by actively participating during live sync sessions. Even though your class is online, make time to meet with your professor before or after class or during office hours.
Ask your professor if you can write class notes in a shared Google document or spreadsheet so that everyone can contribute collectively and learn from each other.
Set up study groups or times to convene as a group or class to review materials and work on projects.
Use a headset or headphones with a built-in microphone for best audio quality.
Make sure you have access to a webcam
Make sure your space is quiet with minimal distractions so you can focus on your session.
Test your space’s internet connection prior to your live session. You’ll need a strong internet connection for live sessions.
Add a profile picture to your Blackboard account so that your classmates can become familiar with you.
Visit the Course Room in Blackboard to check that it works with your browser settings prior to your live session.
Join the session early to make sure you have time to set up your audio and video and to familiarize yourself with the functions of Blackboard Collaborate.
Focus on your Live Session- make sure all other tabs are closed.
Use the “Raise Hand” tool to avoid interrupting other participants.
Be professional during your session- keep you audio off when not speaking, keep your camera on, and pay attention to the presenter. Be respectful of your classmates and allow others to add to the conversation.
For a list of frequently asked questions that address the university as a whole, visit GW's FAQs page.
Starting Fall 2020, GW’s Elliott School of International Affairs (ESIA) will be offering all admitted graduate degree students across all MA, MIS and MIPP programs the ability to start their degree online through the Flex-Start program. The Flex-Start program is ideal for admitted students who were admitted to an in-person program and will now be taking courses online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Students who participate in the Flex-Start program will be able to take a regular full-time or part-time course-load online during the Fall 2020 semester and then continue their studies in-person in Washington, DC starting in the Spring 2021 semester (provided the public health situation permits, they complete their Fall 2020 courses in good academic standing, and in the case of international students, they receive a valid F-1 visa prior to the start of the spring semester).
These Flex courses are built on the high-quality tradition founded by our fully online graduate program for mid-career-level professionals, the Master of International Policy and Practice. Students in this program value their online learning experience, rating its quality as equivalent to that of our face-to-face courses, and often even more highly.
Elizabeth Beauchamp
M.A. Candidate, Global Communication
"My best advice for taking online classes is to figure out what time of day you learn best and stick to your routine. I’m a morning person, so I tend to get all reading, studying, and writing done in the morning. But if you’re a night owl, try to figure out an evening routine that makes sense for how you learn. Finding this rhythm early in the semester will help when it becomes much more difficult to manage your time later in the semester."
Ryan Salzman
M.A. Candidate, Security Policy Studies
"Speak up! In an online format it can be a bit more daunting to participate, but you'd be surprised by the door you'll open for your other classmates who are waiting for someone to talk first. It's also important to still treat it as an in-person course in the way that you study, stay organized, and approach the class. When you're actually in class, make sure to find a quiet place without distractions, and make this location part of your routine. For me, keeping as much of a routine while learning online is very helpful."
