In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, World Campus instructors and staff have transitioned to tele-work as of March 17. And, as previously announced, classes are paused the week of March 16-20 while we work to move into a virtual medium.

For our students currently enrolled in fully online programs and courses, no changes unless notified by your instructor. You can find information about other programs and courses here.

As we move to a virtual space, below is information that should be helpful to you.

For Our Students

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Blackboard – For information on using Blackboard, our online classroom environment, please visit the following resources:

Zoom – For information on using Zoom, our virtual meeting environment, please visit the following resource:

International/American Language Institute Students

Housing: If you are in SDSU housing and have questions concerning your residence, please contact Emma Ryan at erryan@sdsu.edu, or call (619) 594-5907 for any questions or issues you may have. Please know that a number of staff members from Residential Education will remain on-campus and be available to you during this great time of uncertainty.

ALI Virtual Office Information:

General inquiries ali@sdsu.edu
619-594-5907
International admissions, Student Visa and I-20 related questions applyali@sdsu.edu
On-campus Housing Emma Ryan
erryan@sdsu.edu
Semester at SDSU Johanna Gleason
jgleason@sdsu.edu
English Programs Barbara Bass
barbara.bass@sdsu.edu
Teacher Training Theresa Perales
tperales@sdsu.edu


While World Campus staff has transitioned to telework as of March 17, we want to emphasize that we are here for you. Please reach out to us as needed via phone, chat, and email. We will be happy to set up virtual video meetings with you as well.

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For Our Instructors

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Moving to a virtual learning environment? Here is some helpful information:

Virtual Instruction Readiness Quiz for Instructors

Use this quiz to help identify specific issues and solutions relevant to particular courses.

Steps to Create an Academic Continuity Plan

By following the steps below, you will be prepared to transition smoothly from face-to-face instruction in the classroom to your virtual classroom.

Step 1: Prepare course materials

  • Familiarize yourself with virtual technologies at SDSU including Blackboard and Zoom.
  • Download and install any required plugins, programs, and prerequisites prior to your class
  • Consult with an Instructional Designer and World Campus IT for training and support
  • Post the course syllabus and schedule in Blackboard
  • Setup the Blackboard Gradebook
  • Create and save one backup assignment
  • Upload course materials and readings
  • Post any relevant announcements in Blackboard
  • Have at least two pre-recorded lectures prepared and ready to deploy
  • Select alternative virtual activities for students, including video clips, discussions, or journals

Step 2: Transition to virtual classroom

  • Make your pre-recorded backup lecture(s) and activities available
  • Use the Announcements and Email features to communicate with your students
  • Use the Discussion Board for class discussions and interpersonal communication
  • Schedule a web conferencing session using Zoom during your regular class time
  • Record all progress and grades in the Grade Center

Step 3: Assess the situation and consider future instructional needs

  • Are you and/or your students displaced as a result of the emergency?
  • Will you need to adjust availability dates and due dates for graded items in your course?
  • Will you have students who need to utilize proctored testing services?
  • Will your in-person course need to be converted to a distance learning format for the foreseeable future?

Blackboard – For information on using Blackboard, our online classroom environment, please visit the following resources:

Zoom – For information on using Zoom, our virtual meeting environment, please visit the following resources:

Low-Bandwidth Issues – With more than 400 million students disrupted due to the spread of COVID-19, the national telecommunications infrastructure may begin to experience delays and could be temporarily at capacity due to the increased demand for virtual instruction and remote work.

These problems may impact the ability to access on-campus systems and some of our private cloud/vendor hosted platforms. If the challenges of this new scale arise, it will be up to the nation’s telecommunication providers to increase their capacity. How quickly these issues will be resolved will be beyond our control.

If interruptions occur, it may be necessary for us to adjust our strategy for virtual instruction to using lower-bandwidth options.

  1. Consider lower-bandwidth options, like pre-recording content for asynchronous video playback, as opposed to providing synchronous (live online) instruction.
  2. Stagger virtual meeting times so everything doesn’t happen 8 am—5 pm Mon-Fri.
  3. Make use of webcams optional for students, and encourage students keep their microphone muted when not speaking.
  4. Promote the following asynchronous tools in Blackboard:
  • Email
  • Discussion Boards
  • Frequent, low-stakes quizzes
  • Assignment tool
  • Announcement tool with email sent
  • Blogs
  • Journals
  • Groups

Continue to seek support from ITS if you have questions or are uncertain of your options, contact us at https://cesdev.sdsu.edu/world-campus-it-support

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For Our Staff

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To support staff who are tele-working, SDSU’s Information Technology Services has set up a page with tools and resources, please refer to it here.

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