Have you ever been tasked with supporting staff in teaching online when face-to-face classes have been cancelled? In difficult circumstances, campus-based activities could be suspended indefinitely due to a significant environmental, health or socio-political impact. In these extreme cases, online teaching can provide a form of emergency management and continuity of teaching and learning. This type of support was needed during the campus shutdowns of 2016 and 2017 caused by student protests that affected South African higher education institutions nationwide. In this session, colleagues from the University of Cape Town (UCT) will share issues, tools and solutions provided to support academic staff required to teach online during those difficult times. The session is designed to provide an example case, but also learn from others. This session will take the form of a birds of a feather discussion, so we welcome others with similar experiences and institutional or individual stories to join.This session is based on the Sakai Virtual Conference 2017 presentation - Under pressure: Supporting staff teaching online in uncertain times (https://youtu.be/50m4skkITeo) but incorporates further questions to help find a solution in your context.

1. Teaching continuity

2. Supporting Continuity of T&L
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3. What happened at our institution

4. #FeesMustFall

5. Due to the protest action UCT's
management suspended all
face-to-face classes on
Thursday and Friday. "The reason is
primarily for the safety of students and
staff and to avoid exposing staff and
students to unacceptable disruptive
behaviour‚'' a statement by the
university read. "Blended
learning models will be
implemented where possible and
course conveners will communicate
further how teaching will continue off
campus. Course conveners will also
communicate if and how tests and
exams will continue and whether
practical and tutorials will proceed." At
the mass meeting the student body
resolved that they will reject the
blended learning module as
proposed by UCT.
Blended learning as a response

8. Link to Google Doc
https://tinyurl.com/ApereoBof

9. Designing for our context: Tools
Institutional:
● Lessons, Q&A (contrib),
Blogs (contrib), Forums,
Assignments, Test &
Quizzes etc.
● Lecture recording
(Opencast & Tsugi integrated)
● Adobe Connect
● Turnitin
● ProctorU
External:
● Screencast-o-matic
● Whatsapp
● Google Drive and Docs

10. Designing for our context: Tools
Content
Creation
Student
Participation
Communication Assessment
● Lessons
● Lecture
recording
● Google Docs
● Screencast
-o-matic
● Lessons
● Forums
● Blogs
● Q&A
● Video
conferencing:
Adobe
Connect
● Email
● Whatsapp
● Assignments
● Test and
Quizzes
● ProctorU
● Turnitin

12. Link to Google Doc
https://tinyurl.com/ApereoBof

13. Designing for our context: Students & Staff
Online Learning Challenges: Digital Access
Device
Access
Data Cost
Connectivity

14. UCT Student Access Survey 2017
DEVICE ACCESS:
88%of students own laptops
CONNECTIVITY:
68% have off-campus Internet “sufficient for learning
needs”. Top two constraints are:
61% Internet access too slow or unreliable
47% Can’t afford data costs
55%use off-campus Internet to play videos i.e. stream
(36% download when on-campus; 9% don’t use video)
3%have no Internet access off-campus
* Notes:
“Off-campus” includes residences
Wifi access in residences varies in
quality and coverage

15. National &
Institutional
interventions
2016-2017
Device
Access
Data Cost
Data cost
● The cost of data in South
Africa is significant
● Mobile network providers
zero-rate data for University
sites (2016, 2017) - and still
today
#datamustfall
Device Access
● Student Laptop Programme: FinAid
1st-year students get free laptops in
2017 (piloted from 2013)
● UCT Laptop Loan Scheme (2017)
Connection quality
● Future-facing: Res wifi
● Flexible T&L options to
promote accessibility
Connectivity

16. Engagement: Faculty concerns & issues
Physical / Infrastructure
● Data access for students / faculty
● Access for devices for faculty off-campus
○ e.g. DIY recording (Tablet/Board writing)
● Discipline-specific issues
○ e.g.Specialised software, Math notation
Personal - Skills & Emotions
● Faculty digital literacies e.g. file size and format
● Insecurities of online teaching & recordings e.g. self consciousness
● Ethical dilemmas - Issues of privacy & confidentiality?
● Accessibility - Disability Service
General thoughts / outcomes
● Feels like ‘doubling up’ of work.
● NB: Distinction between emergency versus longer term plans

18. Link to Google Doc
https://tinyurl.com/ApereoBof

19. Emergency/ Reactive support
How we responded
2016 2017
● Engagement: Face-to-face
Hot seat sessions
● Resource: CILT Overview
guide & 1-3 page DIY guides
● Engagement: Faculty & Dept sessions
● Engagement: Online @ Lunch
● Resource: Vula tool guide
● Resource: Overview flowchart
● Resource: CILT How- to video series
Ongoing support
● Engagement: Vula Helpdesk (telephonic, email and walk-in)
● Engagement: Staff development workshops, incl. intro to
online teaching & learning, and sprint sessions

20. Concept 1: Understanding digital access

21. Concept 2: Online teaching & learning basics
● 1-3 page DIY guides
● Vula tool guide
● Overview flowchart
● Faculty/Dept sessions

22. Concept 3: Flexible options through tools
1.1 Re-use
● Lecture Videos
● OERs
1.2 vs Create
● Written
○ Google Docs
● Audio
● Video
○ Narrated powerpoint
○ Screencast
2.1 Share content
● Lessons / Resources
● Lecture Videos
2.2 & Communicate
● Announcements
● Email lists
● Whatsapp
...Video conferencing….
3.1 Check concepts
● Lessons (Short question),
Polls, Test & Quizzes
3.2 Elicit questions
● Q&A tool (Contrib), Forums,
Chat room
3.3 Enable student content
● Blogs, Wiki / Google docs,
Student pages (Lessons)

23. The case of lecture
recording in an empty
lecture venue
History of lecture recording at UCT
Institutional Lecture Recording
- Leveraging off existing
infrastructure (~90 venues)
- A self-service approach
- Ability to upload any video
The power of established practices
underpinned by
- Knowledge & capacity building
- Empowering individuals /
departments
- Integration of technology &
support

24. Concept 4: Building practical skills
● CILT How- to video
series
● Sprint sessions
● Teaching & learning
online

25. Faculty value:
● Connection & community
● Structure & forward planning

27. Link to Google Doc
https://tinyurl.com/ApereoBof

28. Teaching continuity discussions
South Africa:
Student protests -
● Apereo Africa (2017) - “We need for universities to develop an institutional
culture of e-learning” - CILT News
● Sakai Virtual Conference 2017 - Shanali Govender, Nicola Pallitt , Sam LP -
Under pressure: Teaching in uncertain times
● Further research - Blended learning case studies (2018): UCT, UFS, NMU, UJ,
UP, CPUT
International:
● Health risks
● Natural disasters
● Other risks and regional impacts
E.g. Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) - Resources and
Toolboxes

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