FAQs for Online Teaching

Can I require students to turn on their webcams?

We recommend encouraging students to turn on their webcams, however, this should not be a requirement. Here are some reasons why:

• Not all students have access to a webcam
• A poor wifi connection prevents a student from using a webcam
• Students might have no or little privacy
• Not all students have devices that can handle a virtual background due to computational demands
• Students may not be able to do so due to religious reasons

So you may ask, but not require, students to turn on their webcams, and you should not use this as the only way to assess if a student is attending and engaging in your class. You can read about ways you can check for attendance and participation in an online class in addition to the webcam. Check out our recommendations and guidance in our 2021 post, “When You Can’t Require the Webcam.”

How can I make sure students stay engaged with the class? I’m worried that without meeting in person it’s harder to tell if students are clear on what’s happening and coming up in the course.
Here are three suggestions:

1. Create a clear structure. For example, with assignments such as a paper, include with deadlines and frequent (and early) check-ins to put everyone on the right track and limit frantic catching up and confusion closer to the final due date.

2. Foster communication. Try to be clear with students (and reiterate this) about what counts as ‘work’ in the class. Some students will get anxious that they are not doing enough work (as they would during a face-to-face class, simply by showing up for class) by doing even more work, whereas others may get lost without structure and deadlines. Our Student Guide to Learning and Baruch may offer some helpful student-facing language for discussions about navigating the course.

3. Build in a sense of community. Student engagement is also tied closely to classroom community. For guidance on setting up an engaged classroom community, check out Week 3: Student Engagement & Course Policies, and Week 4: Assessments & Communication, of the 4-week Online Course Prep Guide.

I miss seeing my students in the classroom. What can class participation look like online?
In the classroom, we’re used to being able to look around the room to see the body language of our students to get a sense of how students are responding. It’s hard to rely on this method in an online environment, even during a synchronous class meeting such as a Zoom class meeting. Here are some suggestions for meaningful class participation and attendance online.

How do I give an online exam or quiz?
It’s important to think about how you are designing and then giving your exam. You can read more about this in our post on Quizzes, Tests and Alternative Forms of Assessment. We also know that many faculty and students are concerned about academic integrity and have questions about online proctoring. For more information on the complications of using online proctoring solutions, and to explore alternatives, please see our position statement.

What is the difference between synchronous and asynchronous?
In a synchronous course, students meet with the professor and with each other in real time. The professor might lecture, facilitate a discussion, or organize activities for students to complete in breakout rooms. For courses listed as synchronous on CUNYFirst, it is assumed that students will be available to attend the class at the times listed (i.e. Tuesdays from 1-2:15pm). The attendance policy of the “synchronous” session is similar to a face-to-face class. Students should not assume that synchronous class meetings will be recorded for later viewing.

In an asynchronous course, students have a window of time when they access and complete assignments. However, rather than meeting at the same time, students can complete the work when it is convenient for them (i.e. between Monday and Thursday of this week). One student might do the work on Tuesday, and another might do it on Thursday.

We provide more details and share some examples in our post on synchronous and asynchronous teaching.