Academic Continuity Guide

During times of extreme weather, the University may decide to transition classes to a remote format. While the university teaching community has a strong grasp of a variety of teaching modalities from previous COVID-prompted transitions to online, hybrid, and flipped teaching modalities, we have prepared this document as supplemental guidance to ensure this brief shift to remote instruction remains as smooth and effective as possible for faculty members and students alike.

Remember to refer to the University of Miami’s Emergency Preparedness website as well as the UM Emergency Management social media accounts www.facebook.com/UMiamiENN and www.twitter.com/UMiamiENN for important updates and additional information.

Preparing to Teach During Inclement Weather

While the University teaching community has a strong grasp of a variety of teaching modalities from previous COVID-prompted transitions to online, hybrid, and flipped teaching modalities, we have shared Preparing to Teach During Inclement Weather, a guide to prepare for a smooth transition for faculty and students in regard to emergency weather or natural disasters.

This guide includes tips and suggestions for how to share materials with students, how to facilitate live virtual class sessions in Zoom, how to support students during remote teaching, and what to do in case there is a loss of power/Internet connectivity. 

 The document's appendix includes technical support and tutorials for using Zoom and Blackboard as part of your remote teaching.

Download the guide now 

Teaching and Technical Support for Faculty

Need the latest UM updates? The University of Miami Office of Emergency Management provides the latest updates, information, and guidance related to major emergencies and disasters.

Need help with teaching online? The Digital Learning and Design Institute provides consultations for faculty who leverage online technologies and teaching techniques to create engaging course experiences. To schedule a consultation, contact digital.help@miami.edu.

Need to adjust assessments and course activities? Learning Innovation and Faculty Engagement (LIFE) can help faculty members explore a variety of teaching strategies and can provide guidance regarding implementing alternative course materials and assignments. To schedule individual or request group consultations, contact the LIFE team at life@miami.edu.

Need technical support? In addition to the help desk and instructional video series, the Learning Platforms Team can provide training and support for any of the technologies featured on this page.

Additional Resources

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  • Guides about In-Person, Hybrid, Flipped, and Online Learning

    Preparing to Teach a Spring 2022 Course

    In Spring 2022, the Coral Gables and Marine campuses transitioned to remote instruction for the first two weeks. This guide includes tips and suggestions for what you can expect for the first two weeks of the semester, how to facilitate live virtual class sessions in Zoom, how to provide course materials to students, and how to support students during these remote teaching weeks. View the guide.


    Preparing to Teach a Fall 2021 Course

    In Fall 2021, the University of Miami transitioned to in-person and on-campus classes after a period of remote and online teaching. This guide includes guidance for including remote students to ensure a smooth teaching and learning experience. View the guide.


    Teaching in the General Purpose Classrooms

    Many UM classrooms have been outfitted with the necessary equipment for faculty to record in-classroom lectures and support hybrid teaching, including freestanding webcams that connect with the room’s computer or your own laptop. The Office of Classroom Management has shared two important resources for faculty teaching within the General Purpose Classrooms. 


    Preparing to Teach a Flipped Course

    Our objective with this guide is to provide guidance about how you might leverage flipped learning and its underlying principles to teach effectively in socially-distanced classrooms. We have attempted to answer some of the important questions that may arise as you attempt to implement flipped learning in this unique context. View the guide.


    Preparing to Teach a Hybrid Course

    To help prepare faculty members for teaching in a hybrid format (some students in-person, some attending remotely), we have prepared a teaching guide with useful guidance regarding logistial, technical, and pedagogical considerations. Written in an easy-to-follow question-and-answer format, this guide is a good starting point for faculty members seeking assistance for teaching in a hybrid format. View the guide.


    Online Course Delivery Checklist –The Three Ps of Preparation

    This guide outlines a checklist for preparing and delivering an online course. View the guide.


    Faculty Guide to Major Course Assessments

    An assessment strategy that accurately determines the extent to which students have obtained the knowledge and skills we want them to acquire is a critical part of any course design. The goal of this guide is to provide guidance on approaches to traditional assessments, alternative assessments, and academic integrity. View the guide.


    Instructional Design Tips and Considerations

    This two-page guide provides a brief overview of course design decisions you may need to make when preparing a course. View the guide.

  • On-Demand Video Sessions (Prior Workshop Recordings)

    The following live training sessions were conducted by the Learning Platforms and Learning Innovation and Faculty Engagement team during the Spring - Summer 2020 semester. These sessions covered how to use various technology platforms, in addition to highlighting foundational and intermediate techniques for online teaching. Access the recordings below.


    Introduction to Online Teaching

    This introductory session providea an overview of the basics of online teaching, including online course design strategies, syllabus considerations, basic Blackboard functionality and introducing learners to the online learning environment. View the session recording. View the session recording (login with UMID).


    Fostering Community and Engagement in Online Courses

    This session covers grounded strategies to create online learning environments that promote community and engagement, including communicating with students (learner-centered communication, managing virtual office hours), fostering community among students (creating meaningful discussion board activities, managing group course work and peer-feedback, approaches to providing feedback, and supporting instructor presence with media (videoconferencing, pre-recorded lectures, drawing-based instruction). View the session recording (login with UMID).


    Resources for Teaching and Learning Online

    This session introduces participants to the various University of Miami resources to support teaching and learning online, including support provided by the Richter Library and Camner Center, accommodations for students with disabilities, and open educational resources (OERs). View the session recording (login with UMID).


    Advanced Blackboard Tools for Teaching and Learning

    This session covers strategies for using advanced Blackboard tools, including assessing student learning with Tests, Surveys, and Pools; using the Discussion Board for meaningful and effective classroom discussion; promoting student reflection and collaboration with Blogs, Wikis, and Journals; and providing feedback to students with the Grade Center. View the session recording (login with UMID).


    Blackboard 101

    This session will focus on rapidly becoming familiar with the basic features of Blackboard Learn, including course availability, navigating the site, uploading content, previewing as a student and adding TAs or co-instructors to a course. View the session recording.


    Blackboard + Zoom

    This session focused on learning how to integrate Zoom into your Blackboard course and host live conferencing sessions. Topics included creating a Zoom link within your course, scheduling a meeting and editing meeting settings, inviting and managing meetings with your students using the Zoom tools. View the session recording.


    Blackboard Assignments and Assessments

    This session will focus on learning how to create, deploy and grade different types of assessments (assignment and tests) through Blackboard Learn. View this session recording.


    Respondus Lockdown / Monitor

    This session will focus on learning how to set up Respondus Monitor and LockDown Browser to proctor remote exams. View this session recording.

  • University of Miami Resources

    Office of Disability Services: Accommodating Students in Online Courses

    Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the University must make reasonable attempts to ensure online/remote/distance learning courses are accessible to individuals with disabilities. The Office of Disability Services has issued guidance to University of Miami faculty members regarding the accommodation request process, the types of accommodations, and engaging in communicating with students regarding their accommodations.


    University of Miami Libraries

    In addition to online access to the library catalog, databases, and research guides, UM libraries also provides “Ask a librarian” chat service for reference and research questions, and phone or email consultations with subject librarians. View the Online Teaching Library Resources Research Guide.


    Learning Platforms Team YouTube Channel

    The Learning Platforms Team maintains and updates their YouTube channel with relevant resources connected to Blackboard Learn and other learning tools.


    Teaching Online Workshop

    Enroll and engage with resources in the Distance Learning Institute's Teaching Online Workshop. To request access to this workshop, submit your information here.


    Quick Access Links