FAQs

Updated March 20, 2020

Q: Why does my new Sakai course site for the fall look different?

We have used a new template. Please visit here to learn about the new template.

Q: What have we learned from student learning experiences in Session 3?

To help instructors and the university transition to online teaching, thanks to the Assessment Office, various assessments were conducted to gather timely feedback from students. This report: “Four Weeks In: 10 Lessons from Teaching Online at DKU” is prepared to summarize student feedback and recommendations collected from a pre-survey on student online learning readiness, an end-of-session course evaluation survey and individual communications with students.

What is the academic calendar for Session 3 and Session 4?

Q. Session 4 academic calendar
March 23-May 8: Online session,inclusive of exams
Friday, March 27: Thursday. Drop/add ends for second 7-week undergraduate session.
Friday, April 10: Last day to withdraw with a W grade for 14-week classes.
Friday, April 24: Last day to withdraw with a W grade for second 7-week classes. Last day for I grade change.

Q. Session 3 is scheduled to end on March 20.  Are there designated days in that last week that should be reserved so that students can study and take their final exams?
A: We are trying to keep the semester ending on time, since many students and faculty already have summer obligations.  We figured that we no longer need to reserve Fridays for field trips, classes are self-paced, and many faculty will opt to do projects instead of exams.  So we are not designating specific reading days or exam dates.

Q: When will we need to make grades available to students?A: Session 4  classes start on March 23. We will need grades to be available for students on March 22 so that they can adjust their session 4 classes if they fail to pass the course.

Questions Regarding S4 Course Design

Q. What can we use to update the syllabus when transitioning online?
A. Here is the updated DKU recommended syllabus template for online courses to reflect teaching online.

Q. Are there assigned time slots for synchronous (live) class meetings in Session 4?
A. For DKU faculty in Spring 2020, you are required to hold 2 one-hour synchronous class meetings per week in Zoom, and 2+ hours of office hour availability which is published to the students for meeting with you. Please read the assigned time slot FAQ document first. Then here is the spreadsheet of the assigned time slots for synchronous (live) class meetings in Session 4. Please note that all days and times refer to Beijing time.

Q. How can I be sure my course has enough “contact hours”?
A. For online courses, much of the work students will do in the course will be outside of live class meetings; you may end up assigning more readings and out-of-class work to meet your course learning objectives, and having fewer hours of live class meetings.

In fact, due to the fact that students may be spread around the world with different levels of internet connectivity, we encourage faculty to use asynchronous means as much as possible. Move much of the content acquisition and basic discovery and exploration outside of class meetings, and focus as much the class meeting as possible on interactive work such as discussion, small group work, problem solving, etc.

For DKU faculty in Spring 2020, you are required to hold 2 one-hour synchronous class meetings per week in Zoom, and 2+ hours of office hour availability which is published to the students for meeting with you. Students may not be able to attend the sessions due to their time zone or technology issues, so be sure to record the class meetings and post the recording links in Sakai, and don’t base any part of the student grade on their live attendance. For the typical student, each 4-credit course corresponds to approximately 24 hours of total in- and out-of-class time per week in a 7-week session, and each 2-credit course corresponds to approximately 12 hours of total in- and out-of-class time per week in a 7-week session. When teaching online with only 2 hours of live class meetings, plan and assign asynchronous work for students to meet the course learning objectives, to approximately the same total hours of course engagement listed above.

How can I get course support?

If you are experiencing technical difficulties, please contact IT:

  • China-based faculty/staff/students (+86) 0512- 3665-7100
  • US-based faculty/staff/students (+1) 919-660-1810
  • International-based faculty/staff/students can use either telephone option (recommend using tools like Skype calling)
  • Live Chat: https://oit.duke.edu/help
  • Email: service-desk@dukekunshan.edu.cn

Q. How can I get pedagogical support for online courses?

  • For general questions about teaching online, please post in the DKU Online Course Support Sakai site Forums so peers and others can respond to your question and the information shared can benefit all.
  • To request one-on-one consultation or a tutorial from a CTL or DLI consultant, please contact them.
  • For upcoming webinars, see “Zoom Meetings” tab in the DKU Online Course Support Sakai site.
  • Contact CTL staff directly.

Q. How can I get library/textbook support?

  • If you need articles or book chapters to be placed on e-reserves because students may not have their books with them, please place an e-reserves request.
  • Similarly, if you need e-versions of films or media that you planned to show in class and don’t have access to now, please place a request using the streaming video option on the e-reserves form.
  • For help locating OER or other open access materials to supplement resources you can’t access, contact your DKU Library subject librarian: Jo Hare or Mengjie Zou.
  • For e-books licensed for access through the library, contact your DKU Library subject librarian: Jo Hare or Mengjie Zou.
  • For an instructional e-textbook copy, contact your DKU subject librarian: Jo Hare or Mengjie Zou.
  • For student e-textbooks (including Kindle books) access problems, send email to Learning Resource Management Coordinator: Arabella Yue Yin.
  • For any other help with library-related materials used in your teaching, please contact your DKU subject librarian.
  • **Keep in mind that the rules for posting materials online may differ from what your students can access when using physical copies. For more information, visit the Copyright in Teaching guide via Duke ScholarWorks.

Is there anything my students or I need to know about the new VPN?

  • For the new DKU VPN, each session will expire after 4 hours from the time a user signs in. Users will receive a pop-up warning 10 minutes before the session expires. The VPN connection will be disconnected after 4 hours even if it is active. Users have to re-authenticate (login with their NetID and password) if they want to continue using it. If you are giving an exam or timed assignments, please remind students to logout and re-authenticate before beginning it.
  • The VPN session will be disconnected if the connection is idle (no traffic) for 20 minutes.
  • Some sites require you to use DUO for multi-factor authentication. If you do not have access to the phone that was originally set up for dual authentication, you can change your multi-factor identification options at https://idms-mfa.oit.duke.edu/mfa/ under “Manage Devices.”
  • Please select “Library Resources Only” under DKU VPN Group when you are having a problem accessing library webpages or resources through DKU Library or Duke Library. If you are using other internet resources, please still set the group as “Default”.
  • Find more technical information of DKU VPN.

Do you have any Zoom tips for me?

  • Practice your course with a colleague in advance!
  • Remind your students to mute when not talking.
  • For large classes, remind your students to use the “raise hand” feature if they have a question or comment.
  • Zoom does not require VPN, regardless of location. Please remind your students to turn off their VPN while using Zoom. While using Zoom, do not ask your students to go to Sakai or any other site that requires VPN or it will slow the connection down and may cause problems.
  • Please instruct your students to disconnect their video and remain on audio if their internet connection becomes unstable; otherwise, for student engagement, ask them to have their video on when in live sessions.
  • You can share your screen in Zoom to present slides, show the students something on Sakai or another website, run a simulation on your computer, etc.
  • If a student has trouble accessing Zoom online, they can call in. Local access numbers can be found here.

What is Coursera for DKU and can I really access all Coursera content?

  • Coursera for DKU hosts a rich variety of thousands of online modules from many highly regarded universities from around the world, including the University of Michigan, Yale University, the University of Peking, the University of Copenhagen, as well as Duke.
  • These online modules are grouped into short, self-paced courses (typically composed of 4-6 modules) that include videos and text-based lessons, practice exercises, and assessments. Other faculty at Duke have used these courses as online textbooks and video enrichment for their face-to-face and online courses.
  • DKU faculty may incorporate some Coursera material in their online courses. You an also access any of the courses directly.
  • Click here for more information.

Can I use a tool other than Zoom, Sakai, or the other tools you describe?

There are many excellent online tools, but Duke and DKU can only provide support for a limited number. Instructors may opt to use other tools, but they should note they are:

  • Responsible for making sure their students’ data is protected and not shared
  • Responsible for informing students that they are using a tool that Duke does not support and has not vetted for privacy and security. This is a particular concern when using tools that will produce something public, such as a public blog or website
  • Responsible for providing technical support for themselves and their students (if the tool or platform does not already provide sufficient support).

For online courses, much of the work students will do in the course will be outside of live class meetings; you may end up assigning more readings and out-of-class work to meet your course learning objectives, and having fewer hours of live class meetings.

In fact, due to the fact that students may be spread around the world with different levels of internet connectivity, we encourage faculty to use asynchronous means as much as possible. Move much of the content acquisition and basic discovery and exploration outside of class meetings, and focus as much the class meeting as possible on interactive work such as discussion, small group work, problem solving, etc.

I have concerns about academic freedom. What should I do?

This is an important consideration and will be more of a concern in some courses than others.

  • So that students can access Zoom sessions asynchronously, we have suggested that faculty record Zoom sessions. This is the default setting for all Zoom sessions. You should check the record status before you begin your session.
    • You should remind your students that the session is being recorded.
    • Students should be instructed that they may not share the recording URL or record any sessions by any means without faculty authorization. To do so is a violation of the DKU Community Standard.
    • For some topics, you might decide not to record the session. You will need to turn off the recording if you choose not to record. Once you have disabled this setting, please check before the next session to make certain that the recording is enabled as desired.
  • If you schedule the Zoom meeting directly in Zoom, the URL for the cloud recording is only sent to you as the host, so you can control who you share it with. If you schedule the Zoom meeting through Sakai, the recording is immediately visible to those with access to the Sakai site.
  • You can schedule audio-only Zoom sessions, so that the speaker is not readily identifiable.
  • There is an option in Zoom to make a transcript of the audio of the recording. However, the transcript will identify the speakers by name and can not be redacted.
  • You can use the blog tool in Sakai for students to write posts that only the instructor can see. You can set this up such that the student can set their own posts to be seen by everyone or just you, or you may set the permission settings for all users.
  • Breakout rooms in Zoom are not recorded without permission of the instructor.
  • You can set up anonymous postings in Sakai forums. This must be set individually for each forum topic. When activated, every student gets an ID number. The instructor can see who has posted a comment, but others cannot.
  • Just as for in-person courses and activities on the DKU campus, the online courses operate under the Chatham House Rule. “When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed.”
  • Set your guidelines and expectations clearly. The rules of engagement, including a reminder of the Chatham House Rule and the DKU Community Standard, should be in writing. Remind your students that what happens in the classroom (Zoom sessions, Sakai site) should not be shared outside the classroom.
  • This may seem obvious, but please remember this is a very sensitive time in China for everybody. Please think carefully about what you are saying and please don’t make even minor jokes about the coronavirus or other topics that might be sensitive given the challenging nature of the overall situation for the entire country.
  • Consult CTL/DLI if you have specific concerns or needs for your course.

I have concerns about academic integrity. Do you have any suggestions?

  • For every assignment, quiz, or test, include a reminder about adherence to the community standard and require every student to pledge that they have upheld it on the assignment/quiz/test. For every Sakai Assignment and Test and Quiz, require students to sign the pledge in order to do the assessment. You will have to enable this feature manually.
  • Be VERY clear what is and is not permitted for each assignment/assessment, such as whether or not notes can be used.
  • If possible, design open-book, open-note exams. It will greatly reduce your anxiety and theirs if you expect students will be able to look things up.
  • You can do timed exams on Sakai; choose a length that will mostly preclude students from doing broad-scale web searching.
  • Please contact Marcia France if you have any concerns about potential academic integrity violations.

I was planning to have a field trip or guest speaker for my course. Is that still possible?

DKU’s Undergraduate Academic Activities Coordinator is exploring options for virtual field trips. You might also wish to arrange for your guest speaker to hold a Zoom session or record a video for your students. Please contact Jiawen Cai. Some Chinese museums are moving exhibits online.

What are the minimum bandwidth requirements to connect to Zoom and WebEx?

What kind of internet access do my students have?

If a student tells you they are having technical difficulties, please refer them to the IT support listed above.

If a student tells you that they cannot afford suitable internet access in their current location, please refer them individually to Dean Marcia France. Students should have installed the new DKU VPN released before the re-start of session 3 classes.

Do my students have access to their textbooks, previous class notes, or laptops?

  • Some students will have access to these, others will not. The students were traveling on the Spring Festival Break when the travel restrictions and changes to the calendar were made.
  • For e-books, students can down another copy for free onto a different device
  • For hard copies, if possible, please put copies of readings on Sakai (see library support above).
  • For hard copies: If it is not possible to put readings on Sakai and a student tells you they do not have a book, we may be able to reimburse them for purchasing a new copy locally, on a limited basis. Students should not do this unless you determine it is absolutely necessary. A receipt or fapiao is required for all reimbursements.
  • There are only a very small number of students who do not have laptops. We are working with them to try to find alternatives, but it is possible some may not be able to access one.
  • You will have to be understanding that students might not have previous class notes. You might see if other students are willing to share their and post them on Sakai.

What other concerns do my students have?

  • Many are stressed about the situation and feeling isolated from their peers.
    • Anything you can do to connect with them with you or with each other will be greatly appreciated.
    • CAPS is providing support for students. Please refer them to caps@dukekunshan.edu.cn.
  • Some students are looking forward to taking the online courses to relieve the boredom of being stuck inside for days on end. Others are not happy about the decision to replace in-person instruction for online.
  • We want to make sure that our courses remain personal, DKU courses with a connection to you as their instructor. These courses should not be canned MOOCs, even if you make use of some pre-existing content.