For Instructors
Courses are to be offered online/synchronously by the relevant faculty members on the specified dates and times. In accordance with the Framework Rules and Regulations on Applied Education in Higher Education, School of Medicine and School of Nursing courses are to be conducted face-to-face.
All classrooms and computer labs where lectures are scheduled to take place are equipped with camera recording or lecture-capturing systems. Below, is the list of steps that may be useful when using the classrooms this semester:
Important: Both Zoom and the classroom lecture recordings will be published to your students only after your approval. Students will not have access until you give your approval for each recording.
Check the software/hardware capabilities of the classroom(s) where you are scheduled to be teaching,
Bring your laptop/tablet with Zoom running,
Bring cables or converters such as Ctype- HDMI/USB, if necessary,
There are two recording methods for classes:
The lecture-capturing system where recording starts automatically and this option is only available for classrooms specified in the provided link.
Camera system where all sessions are synchronously available via Zoom and are also recorded. For camera system accessibility, the Zoom recording in all classrooms and labs has to be started and ended manually by the instructor,
If there are students participating online, adjust the volume of Zoom so that you can hear remote students' voices when they ask questions or answer your questions,
Check that the Preset tool that allows you to change the camera shots is installed on your laptop,
If there are students participating online, remember to check the Zoom chat for remote students' questions/answers.
Please remember to erase the board and leave the classroom ready for next session.
Test runs may be done in the respective classrooms before the semester starts. More information on how to use the camera recording and lecture-capture systems as well as how to obtain one-to-one IT EdTech support this link.
Online Access
For meetings where online participants use web cameras, faculty, and students are advised to use backgrounds that do not reveal information on their personal life or location. Plain white or light backgrounds are recommended. Online access and recordings respect the personal data of the faculty and students in line with the legal framework on the protection of personal data.
Unless faculty advises not to do so, students should keep their microphones on mute and follow class rules to participate or ask a question.
As there can be delays related to internet connection during online sessions, faculty are advised to check regularly whether students are following the lectures. Faculty are recommended to spare enough time for students to add comments or ask questions. If support is required to manage discussions, a TA should be arranged for the course.
All confidential documents or tabs should be closed during the presentation. Open tabs and applications should be checked before class.
Faculty should end the live session on the scheduled time as assigned in KUSIS, should make sure to let the recording process run after the meeting has ended, and should not turn off the computer while recording is in process, as it may corrupt the file.
Blackboard
Make use of Blackboard features that support instructor engagement with students, student engagement with each other, and digital access to content, assignments, and assessments. Here are a few best practices that will ease the transition to teaching and learning online:
Post a syllabus to provide students information on course policies, assignments, and important dates.
Provide a method for holding class online through For Instructors.
Organize your content so finding course materials is easy for students.
Use assignments and quizzes to assess student understanding.
Communicate with students via emails and announcements.
Create opportunities for students to engage with each other asynchronously through online discussion.
Record and share video through For Instructors.
Learn more on how to use and optimize your experience with the Blackboard learning management system here.
Sharing Files and Documents
You can use cloud storage (Google Drive or Office 365 OneDrive) to store and share your course presentations or other relevant content with your students. Learn more about our shared storage services here.
You can also share the link to your cloud storage on your Blackboard course page.
Lecture Capture
All courses will be delivered on Zoom. All sessions will be recorded, and the recordings will be uploaded to Panopto and linked to Blackboard course page automatically. Learn more about Zoom here.
You can use Panopto recorder to record, and edit your course content. You can then upload the file to Panopto cloud and make it available on your Blackboard course pages. Learn more about Panopto here.
You can record audio narration in your PowerPoint presentation. Learn how to do it here.
Attendance
You may choose to use the options listed below that are currently supported by IT. You may also choose not to take attendance or use a different tool.
Assessments
You can use a variety of Blackboard tools for assessing students' learning, both as individual activities and group work, in an online environment. Explore the following links for guidance on integrating these tools into your course design:
You can use Blackboard Test tool to measure student's knowledge, progress and gather information from students. Learn more about it here.
You can use Blackboard Assignment tool to create coursework, manage the grades and give feedback for each student separately. Learn more about it here.
You can use Turnitin Assignment tool to promote academic integrity, streamline grading and feedback, deter plagiarism, and improve student outcomes. Learn more about it here.
Communication & Collaboration
All courses will be delivered on For Instructors. All class meetings will be automatically scheduled. Learn more about Zoom here.
You can use MS Teams, Google Meet or other conferencing tools to hold your office hours, problem and discussion sessions. Learn more about our communication tools here.
You can use Blackboard Discussion Board to engage students into online discussions. Learn more about it here.
Computer Labs
If you need to access the software that is available in the Computer Labs you can use For Instructors service to have your class access the software remotely.
Programming Tools
Koç University is part of the GitHub Education program so all KU members can enjoy the Enterprise Cloud features offered by GitHub. Learn more about how to use GitHub in your class here.
Trainings and Resources
Webinars
IT and KOLT will offer joint workshops to help you get up to speed with the remote teaching topics. Dates and details will be announced shortly on this page and in the KU Daily digest.
Both IT and KOLT will continue to offer synchronous online trainings and webinars throughout the semester. Announcements will be made a week before each training via e-mail, KUDaily, or IT & KOLT websites. Special events will be organized for new faculty members to help them cope with realities of teaching for the first time or challenges of teaching in a new environment.
KOLT Lessons
KOLT created an asynchronous online course with the aim of helping faculty members in their course design and delivery practices. The training consists of the following six modules:
What Will Teaching Be Like?
Designing an Online Course
Using Technology to Teach an Online Course
Assessing Student Learning and Managing Grading
Student Engagement and Interaction
Helping Students Learn in an Online Course
Faculty members can access the training via Blackboard (https://ku.blackboard.com/ ) All faculty members have already been added to KOLT Faculty Page on Blackboard. KOLT Online Faculty Training modules can be accessible from this page. Faculty members can also find valuable resources on KOLT’s website which is updated regularly with new posts and announcements (https://kolt.ku.edu.tr/?lang=en ).
Individual Consultations (KOLT and IT)
IT
IT Educational Technologists are available for thirty-minute online appointments to help you in using Blackboard, For Instructors, and other relevant tools and topics offered by IT for instructional purposes.
Please send an e-mail to it@ku.edu.tr to make an appointment.
KOLT
KOLT Director and Manager are available for thirty-minute online appointments to help you with teaching experiences in an online environment, course design, syllabus design, online activities, assignment and assessment ideas, using active learning techniques in an online environment, managing online presence and creating a learning community in an online course, etc.
Please send an e-mail to kolt@ku.edu.tr to make an appointment.
Further Help on IT Services
Check out IT Services for further info about IT services in general.
Remote Access
A small number of restricted services can only be accessed if you're connecting from a KU network. When you're away from campus, you'll need to connect to KU VPN first, and then you'll be able to connect to those services. You can use most of KU IT services without KU VPN.
Answer Your Office Phone Remotely
If you’re going to be away from your desk but don’t want to miss an important call, you can forward your calls on your desk phone to another number.
Get Teaching & Learning Help
Faculty members can use IT Trackit system (it@ku.edu.tr) for all their inquiries about online education. To ensure a correct and timely response, please send your inquiries to this email with a descriptive subject rather than to an individual’s email.