Keep Teaching

Welcome Online, Faculty!

Keep Teaching is a comprehensive guide to using the digital learning environment to deliver course instruction across the five modalities currently supported at Texas A&M University. We encourage you to start with the end in mind as you design your course for delivery across these five modalities. Doing so will ensure you maximize the learner experience; leverage technology for greater engagement and efficiencies; and limit complexity for both course instructors and students.

DESIGN
an online course

FACILITATE
an online course

COMMUNICATE
a cohesive plan

Plug-In
to learning technologies

Modalities Currently Supported at Texas A&M

	Course Type Face-to-Face Courses - In-person course meetings and exams - No remote option	Howdy Description Traditional Face-to-Face (F2F)	Attendance These courses are intended to be attended in person. Accommodations are given to students who are unable to attend as they would for other absences prior to COVID.

	Course Type Remote Courses - Synchronous* - All course meetings are delivered remotely online. - Students have a scheduled course meeting time during the week. - Student exams will be delivered remotely	Howdy Description Remote Only	Attendance Students will be required to submit all necessary course materials online based on the instructor’s syllabus.

	Course Type Remote Courses - Asynchronous* - All course meetings are delivered remotely online. - Students do not have a scheduled course meeting time during the week. - Student exams will be delivered remotely.	Howdy Description Remote Only	Attendance Students will be required to submit all necessary course materials online based on the instructor’s syllabus.

	Course Type Web-Based Courses - All course meetings are delivered online - This mode is limited to Distance Education sections designed for online formats	Howdy Description Web-Based	Attendance Students will attend courses online.

*Departmental approval required

Classroom Technologies

chemistry classroom on campus a texas a&m

This semester, you may need to use classrooms differently than they have been used before. Please consult the instructions below for guidance.

Traditional Classroom Instructions PDF
Non-Traditional Classroom Instructions PDF

Innovative Learning Classroom Building (ILCB)

Higher Education Center at McAllen

If you encounter technical difficulties while in the classroom, contact HelpDesk Central

Online

Phone: 979.845.8300
Email: helpdesk@tamu.edu

In Person

Hours: By appointment (call 979.845.8300)
Location: Computing Services Center,
Room CS00

Synchronous Classes

Step 1: Pre-Schedule Synchronous Classes in Zoom (before class)

Zoom integrates into Canvas and allows for real-time engagement between students and content, students and professors, and among students. We encourage you to use Zoom in Canvas to improve the student experience in your online course. Faculty and students can easily access Zoom from within any course in Canvas from the course navigation menu on the left-hand side of the screen.
Scheduling a Zoom video in Canvas video

Step 2: Know Your Classroom Space (before class)

Become acquainted with the technology in your classroom by attending one of the Faculty Open Houses.
Practice with the technology so that you feel comfortable navigating the in-room resources and equipment settings.

Available equipment will include (but not be limited to) cameras and microphones in all traditional and non-traditional spaces. Settings for monitors, screens, whiteboarding, and lecture recording may be different across campus faciliites. There will be A/V staff available at all classroom facilities as well as Instructional Media Service (IMS) staff available to answer your questions. The contact information will be visible on the cover of the resource binder located at each lecturn.

Step 3 (in class)

Login to a Open Access Lab (OAL) computer with your Net ID.
Login to Canvas.
Once you are within the LMS, navigate to your course to find meeting links to join Zoom sessions and access Zoom recordings.

Step 4 (in class)

Launch Zoom.
Select Record before lecturing.
After lecturing, select End Meeting to end the recording and archive it. The link to this recording will be accessible in the Cloud Recordings tab.

Access Zoom Recordings video

Everyone enrolled in your Canvas course can access Zoom cloud recordings from the Zoom link. Zoom cloud recordings include anything that was recorded including all presenters, any shared screen content, and an audio transcript.

Sharing Class Recordings with Students

Instructors may record their class session in Zoom and share the cloud recording with their students. Students may benefit from a recording of sessions if they want to review content later, have a documented accommodation, or if they cannot attend due to internet access issues or illness.

Students requesting an excused absence must provide appropriate documentation per Student Rule 7 and will be allowed to recover from the illness before making up missed work. Students quarantining for exposure should not attend in-person classes but are expected to keep up with course work in collaboration with the instructor of record.

See the two options below to see which sharing Zoom cloud recording option will be a good fit for you:

Zoom Cloud Recording Access to All Students

Use the Zoom integration in Canvas

The Canvas-Zoom integration allows instructors to set up synchronous sessions directly in Canvas. Students enrolled in the course will be able to find cloud recordings of a meeting (that was scheduled in Canvas) directly from the Canvas-Zoom interface.

Hosts (instructors) will receive an email with a link to a streaming version of the cloud recording.
The recording will be available to the entire class. To access the cloud recording, students can click the Zoom tab from course navigation, then click on the recordings tab and locate the recording*.

*Note that Zoom recordings will only be available for 180 days. If the instructor would like to keep a permanent copy of the recording, it is best to download the recording as MP4 and save it to a secure location, such as Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive.

Resources:

Zoom Cloud Recording Access to Select Students

Use Zoom outside of Canvas.

If the instructors only want selected students to have access to the class recordings, schedule the Zoom session directly in the Zoom account by logging into zoom.tamu.us.

Hosts (instructors) will receive an email notification with a link to the cloud recording after the session is over.
Once the recording is available, instructors should edit the cloud recording sharing setting by enabling the on-demand recording registration:
- On-demand recording registration can be customized with custom fields: manual or automatic approval. The link to access the recording will not change, but once the on-demand option is turned on for a recording, it will take students to the registration page, instead of directly to the cloud recording.
- Our recommendation is to manually approve the cloud recording registration, to give more control on who can view the lecture recordings.
If you want to share with only a select audience, you can send a link to the cloud recording. All you need to do is copy and paste the link from the Share button on your recording management page. You’ll get several options to secure your recording, such as requiring registration, requiring a passcode, or adding an expiry date. Keep in mind that the cloud recording passcode is not the same as your “Join Zoom Meeting” passcode.
Instructors can use Canvas Inbox to share the recording link with specific students.

Note: If instructors want to have more granular control over who has access to the recording, instructors can download the recordings and add the recording file to their TAMU Google Drive and share with the students who need to watch the replay using their TAMU email address. This technique will also allow instructors to store recordings permanently.

Resources:

Tips for Teaching Asynchronously with Zoom

This guide provides tips and tricks for using technology when teaching a class where some students are in the room and others are joining remotely.

Record your lecture(s) via Zoom and share the cloud recording(s) with your students after class.
When a student in the room asks a question, the instructor may repeat the question in case those attending virtually do not hear the initial question.
Students in the room don't have to join the Zoom meeting. However, the instructor could change the class camera view to show the people in the room to the online attendees.
Instruct the students on the Zoom call to mute their microphone (using the “Mute” button in Zoom), and either unmute or use the Chat window to ask questions.
If those participating virtually ask a question via the Chat, ask a student in the room to convey those questions.
If physical content is being shown in the room (either on a piece of paper, on a whiteboard, or some other content that is not displayed on screen), use the document camera or web camera in the room (making sure to select the appropriate camera under the “Start Video/Stop Video” button in Zoom).
If virtual content (i.e., a PowerPoint presentation, website, or other computer software) needs to be shown in the Zoom meeting, use the “Share Screen” feature in Zoom and select the content you wish to share. If you are sharing videos with sound, please make sure to select the checkbox to share computer sound on the share screen.

Best Practices in Instructional Design

Below are best practices for online teaching and learning. You will find these best practices integrated into the tools we provide throughout Keep Teaching. We encourage you to take these into consideration to optimize the online learning environment for you and your students.

Canvas Connection

The following 5 best practices are agnostic of the learning management system and technology. Gains you can make now will carry over as you transition to Canvas and be supported by its tools and features.

1. Course Design

Design your course to be student-oriented. Set students up for success by breaking the learning into smaller chunks. Establish a pattern of activity and due dates to take the guess-work out of your online course. And clearly describe your expectations for your students. You can also help your students dive straight into the content by providing them with clear instructions. Find opportunities to personalize student learning by giving students a chance to engage with you and other students.

2. Course Facilitation

Once the semester starts, you should see your role transitioning from course designer to facilitator. The quality of interactions between you and your students is a sign of a successful online course. There are three types of interactions you can design into your course and activate as you facilitate your online course.

Student-to-Content: Students are actively engaged in learning content.
Student-to-Student: Students communicate and collaborate with each other to foster the learning community.
Student-to-Course Instructor: Students receive clear guidance and feedback from the instructor.

3. Assessment

Prompt feedback provides opportunities for students to continuously improve throughout your online course. You can assess student learning two ways:

Formative Assessments: Monitor student learning and are low-stakes activities that allow students to practice.
Summative Assessments: Evaluate learning at a benchmark and normally are higher stakes.

Strive for a combination of both so that formative assessments can help students incrementally build confidence toward summative assessments.

4. Communication

Communication is key to maintaining a strong connection to your students and ensuring your active presence in your online course. We provide you with a sample communication plan that includes language for the following:

Participation expectations for students
Preferred contact method(s)
Estimated response times for course questions and feedback
Guidance on tone for online communication
Links to guide students to Texas A&M University resources
Tips for generalizing your online course communication to create efficiencies when you teach your course again

We recommend aggregating all of your communication through the LMS to create efficiencies for you and a central hub where students know they can navigate to find your communication.

5. Accessibility

Academic accessibility is important for the inclusion of all learners. Necessary for some but beneficial for all, accessibility best practices and tools ensure that learners of all types and abilities are able to access what they need for quality education.
File Transformer allows students to personalize their learning experience by converting your course files into alternative formats that fit their needs, devices, and learning preferences.

Benefits to Students: Improves the student experience by providing alternative and accessible formats of uploaded course documents. The accessible versions available will depend on the original document. Students may select the format that best meets their needs. Providing access to course documents in alternative formats is beneficial to all students, regardless of ability.

If you teach a class that has an interpreter, transcriptionist, or any other resource designed to assist a student with an accommodation, please contact Disability Resources to determine how best address this issue. See also Accessibility with Zoom

Designing an online course creates an opportunity for you to plan what you want your learners to experience. This section will provide resources to help you:

Map your online course so that you create alignment between course objectives, assessments, and instructional materials.
Organize your course content into modules.
Utilize a Course Design Checklist to guide you through the course design process.
Watch Module Overview Video here.

Organizing Content into Modules

Five Step Guide to Crating an Online Module

A module is a sequenced collection of subject-related materials designed to teach a topic or skill. Modules are the building blocks of an online course. Modules are most often associated with time (one week), although they can also be organized by book chapter, theme, or any other organizing principle you wish to apply to your online course.

Why Use Modules

Modules act as a great table of contents to outline and organize your online course. Modules also provide completion requirements and flow for students.

Canvas utilizes modules as a key tool in the course design process. The work you put in now to organize your content into modules will make the transition to Canvas easier for you.

Anatomy of an Online Module

Modules act as a great table of contents to outline and organize your online course and provide completion requirements and flow for students.

Learning Objectives: Statements that define what learners will be able to demonstrate as a result of instruction.
Module Overview / Introduction: Directions for stepping through the module that can be text, audio, or video-based content.
Learning Materials: Readings, lecture content, etc. to support learning.
Learning Activities: Assignments, discussions, projects, etc. to provide an opportunity to apply or practice learning.
Assessments: Mechanisms to monitor and evaluate learning.

1. Write the Learning Outcomes

2. Create the Assessment(s)

Creating assessments after you write learning outcomes helps ensure alignment between the two. It is helpful to think about how you will find out that students have gained the knowledge and skills that you want them to learn as soon as you write the learning outcomes. Consider including low stakes assessments that help students self-monitor their progress. Keep in mind that assessments can be placed in any part of a module. They do not necessarily have to be at the end.

3. Create or Curate Learning Materials and Activities

Consider using a combination of resources that you curate and resources that you create. Students enjoy seeing materials created by their professors even if the materials are not as polished. Professor-created content helps make the course feel warmer. If you are asking students to read articles, review websites, or view videos, give students guiding questions and specific instructions about what to focus on. Engage them in active learning by telling them what to look for, what questions to be asking themselves, and what to be writing down as they go through the materials. If you are using a textbook, do not forget to include the assigned readings from it.

4. Sequence Learning Materials and Activities to Create a Learning Experience

5. Write Instructions for Students

Course Mapping

Course mapping is a helpful exercise to outline alignment between a course’s learning objectives, instructional material, and assessments. Course mapping assists with project management as you design your online course; reveals gaps in your course design; and allows you to apply learning technologies that augment your course design. Download the course mapping tool to guide your online course design.

Course Design Checklist

Now that you have considered the nine steps to quality course design, created a course map, and organized your content into modules, we suggest you apply the Course Design Checklist to ensure you are optimizing the online teaching and learning experience for you and your students.

The Course Design Checklist contains foundational items (think of this list as your quick start), Universal Design for Learning principles, and applies pedagogical best practices to help you elevate the quality of your online course.

The way you design your online course will determine the role you play once the course goes live. This section will provide resources to help you:

Hear what students had to say about Keep Teaching at Texas A&M University during Spring 2020.
Learn how to transform your learning activities into opportunities for online engagement.
Plan for the time commitment facilitating an online course will take you (as motivation to design your online course prior to the semester starting!).
Watch How to Hold Office Hours in Zoom Video here.

Transform your Learning Activities into Opportunities for Online Engagement

A well-designed online course creates both synchronous and asynchronous opportunities for learning and engagement to occur. Synchronous teaching affords the chance for real-time learning encounters in which students, course instructor(s), content, and technology come together in a single place for a single purpose of instruction.

We recommend you utilize Zoom to create formal and informal opportunities for real-time interactions with your students.

Formal: Try lecturing synchronously via Zoom, using the Share Screen feature to show your slides.
Informal: Hold online office hours via Zoom to provide a time and space for students to ask you questions and receive feedback in real time.

Lectures

A best practice for online asynchronous lectures is to keep it short – between 3 and 12 minutes. To achieve this, you might script your lecture like a podcast and chunk material by topic. For content that needs more "air time," consider using Zoom to deliver synchronously so your students have the chance to engage with you as you lecture.

Key Questions to Ask yourself when Determining if your Online Course Necessitates a Lecture:

Does your planned lecture simply echo information students are already reading in a textbook?
Can your students learn what you are trying to teach by participating in an activity rather than a lecture?
Can students create something based on what they find to demonstrate their learning (such as a presentation, video, or podcast)?

Discussions

If you plan to utilize Discussions in your course, consider elements of a face-to-face discussion that you have enjoyed with your students in the past and try to replicate in how you craft your discussion prompts. These elements should also guide your grading expectations, which should be clearly communicated to students in the instructions.

Key Questions to Ask yourself when Designing Discussion Prompts:

Beginning: How did the discussion begin? Was there material that ignited the discussion?
Participation: Did everyone participate at once? Where some left out? Why?
Tangents: Did the conversation include any tangents? Was this welcome or stifled?
Supplemental Material: How were resources incorporated into the discussion? Were students expected to prepare in any way? How did they demonstrate (or fail to demonstrate) their preparedness?
Ending: Was there a summary, synthesis, or take-away message to end the conversation?

Collaborations

Collaboration in an online learning environment encourages students to develop their critical thinking and communication skills. Collaborative learning activities can include long-term group projects, peer-reviews, and discussions.

Key Strategies to Encourage Student Collaboration in an Online Learning Environment:

Provide clear instructions on collaboration expectations
Suggest tactics students may employ to resolve conflicts that may arise among peers
Articulate the learning objectives associated with the collaborations so students see the value
Maintain a presence in collaborations by providing timely feedback
Integrate micro milestones to keep students on track

Active Learning

Students taking an online course come to class demonstrating a certain level of agency and participation by the nature of entering into the LMS, navigating to the course, and accessing content. The online learning environment requires students to take a more active role in their learning. Yet this is not to suggest that the online learning environment naturally creates an active learning environment.

Key Considerations to Integrate Active Learning into an Online Learning Environment:

Consider a place in your course where students would receive information passively and seek to transform into moments for students to take action
Provide advance notice for active learning activities, especially if they require additional time that students may need to organized on their own
Amplify exemplars as a way to demonstrate to those who may be struggling
Revise instructions when you notice students are not following
Communicate the structure by which you will assess students’ participation in active learning activities, so they know ahead of time
Offer summative feedback to the class at the conclusion of the active learning activity

Grading and Feedback

Rich, detailed, and timely feedback is valued among most learners. In an online learning environment, you have the ability to use learning technologies to provide detailed feedback. Audio or video feedback can be a particularly rich medium for students. We also encourage you to consider opportunities for synchronous feedback either individually with a students or in summary form to the class as a whole.

Plan your Time Commitments as you Facilitate your Online Course

While your physical presence in a course adds richness and value to the student experience, you will want to pace your visible presence to ensure you can balance engaging with students with other time constraints placed on you as you teach online.

Your Time

Considerations you can take to best balance your time commitments as you facilitate your online course:

Tune into the weekly cadence that you establish when designing your course, which will determine when you need to be present for student feedback, when you will need to grade, and when you will need to prepare for subsequent weeks
Calibrate when students need you present with when you have available time to devote to synchronous activities
Automate what you can by posting FAQs to patterns you see from student emails, utilizing auto-grade features of the LMS, and establishing repetition in your course design which will create time efficiencies when students gain familiarity
Account for additional time that navigating new technologies may require

Your Students' Time

Considerations you can take to best accommodate your students’ time include:

Use time zone conversation and scheduling tools to consider the timespan your students may be operating within
Specify time zones when you list times in your communication, as some students may be taking online courses from other parts of the country or world
Seek consistency for when assignments are due
For undergraduate students, try to schedule assignments to be due before 5:00 pm to reduce procrastination and a potential state of exhaustion
For graduate and professional students, it may be necessary for them to complete coursework on weekends so due dates in the late evening on Saturdays may be best

Planning your communication strategy and aligning this strategy with the tools in Canvas will build in efficiencies while transforming student learning and your students’ overall experience in your class. This section will provide resources to help you:

Prepare your students for online learning by communicating expectations.
Transform communication challenges into opportunities for a more robust online learning experience.
Discover communication tools and modify the sample communication to use in your online course.
Communicating effectively in the classroom while wearing a mask.

Preparing your Students for Online Learning

Your communication strategy not only keeps students in the know during the course; but if properly planned, you can encourage positive behaviors. Clearly articulating your expectations will help you facilitate and your students engage in your online course.

Ways to Encourage Positive Online Student Behaviors

Include information in a consistent way throughout the class to reduce the number of questions students may have.
Answer student questions by redirecting them back to resources you have already included in your online course. This will ensure you are getting the student to the right place and empower students to have a better appreciation for what is available to them in the course by directing them to links where you have provided further direction or information.
Provide direct instruction about expectations for using video during synchronous sessions and consider alternatives for poor connectivity or limitations on devices.
Identify which course content is required versus which is supplemental.
Build interactive elements into video and lecture content, such as asking questions or having students record video reflections, so that they get in the habit of engaging with course content.

Checklist for Student Expectations

You can encourage positive online student behaviors by providing clear course expectations for the following. Link to university resources where applicable.

Participation and engagement guidelines
Etiquette expectations
Aggie Code of Honor
Policies for grading
Late work and make-up work
COVID19 information for Students
Technology requirements

Scenarios to Transform Communication Challenges into Opportunities

Students email questions they should know the answer to.
Make conversations more public using the Announcements tool.
Create a Discussion forum where the conversations are made available to all students.
Students may expect a faster reply than you are able to accommodate.
Communicate your email response times early in your course. Be sure to consider your availability as you establish due dates.

Communication Tools

Course Introductory Materials

Course orientation, including a welcome message that includes an overview of the course, an explanation of how the course is organized, what types of participation will be expected of students, and how to progress through the course materials.
Course syllabus, including all required university and instructional policies, including a statement on online etiquette; information on communication expectations; directions about how to contact the course instructor; technical requirements for the class; instructions on how to access technical support; information on University Libraries; and student services.
Directions for any technologies, software, or online publisher-provided content and activities.

Module Introductory Material

Overviews that introduce the learning objectives; explain how they support learning outcomes; and preview the learning activities, assignments, and assessments for the module.
Reading and resource lists, including introductory comments that provide context and guidance for students about the significance of each resource.

Instructions for Learning Activities

Instructions for Assessments

Directions for major projects, papers, or assignments. These are best communicated as broken down into steps with milestones assigned.
Instructions for quizzes and exams that are written clearly and concisely, and include information on how proctoring will occur (if deemed necessary), what happens if Canvas times out, and other issues that the students may experience when taking the assessment.

Sample Email Templates

The sample email templates can be modified and used as a tool to quickly communicate information, particularly when you find yourself receiving multiple inquiries around the same topic.

Online Office Hours

I have created a Zoom space where I will be available to answer course questions once a week. If you have a question it is likely others do as well. I will post a summary of the questions discussed during Zoom Office Hours so that everyone will have access to the answer. You may “pop” into Zoom Office Hours at any time during the window below and I will be available.

Zoom Office Hours: Fridays, 3:00 – 5:00 PM CDT
Zoom Link: <<include URL here>>

Email Response Times

You may expect an answer to all emails within 24 hours, Monday-Saturday. Do give me at least 24 hours before emailing the same question again. If you do not receive a response from me within three days, somehow I must have missed it. Please send or post it again and I will work to get you a response within 24 hours.

General Questions about Grades

Requests for Letters of Recommendations

I am happy to write a letter of recommendation for you.

Before I can do so, please provide my email (-----------@tamu.edu) to the system or individual with whom you are applying. I will need your resume and a brief statement (at least a paragraph) describing why I am the person you want to recommend you and why you are applying. Please send that to me in an email when you request I write a letter.

Step 1:

Submit my name and email address to the system and/or individual with whom you are applying.

Step 2:

Send me an email that has a paragraph making the connection between our acquaintance and the program / position to which you are applying.
Include in this email as an attachment your resume.
Also let me know the date by which I need to submit the recommendation.

Communicating about Zoom and Zoom as a Communication Tool

We encourage you to use the Zoom tool integrated into Canvas to set up your reoccurring class meeting time. This will create one centralized place for students to find the Zoom connect URL.

Sample Communication about Class Meeting via Zoom

This course will be meeting via Zoom. Take the time to familiarize yourself with it by thoroughly reading all of the materials and the step-by-step instructions found here. You may also choose to use Zoom on your mobile device (phone or tablet). We encourage you to use your camera so that we can foster a sense of community in class.

Zoom Meetings can be scheduled from within a Canvas course. Both course instructors and students will access the Zoom for Canvas tool from the left-side navigation for the course. The landing page shows information on upcoming meetings and previous meetings, as well as a list of cloud recordings, which will help students stay organized.

Recommendations

Develop courses that allow simultaneous participation from both in person and online students

Several national universities are choosing to adopt this model so that students can participate regardless of their personal circumstances An additional layer of instruction, in which course sessions are recorded, could also facilitate participation from international students living across time zones This model can accommodate students with a range of personal circumstances, including domestic students who feel uncomfortable returning to campus or students who fall ill alter in the semester If this model is not feasible, TAMU can consider online courses with both synchronous and asynchronous components.

Ensure that course materials are mobile friendly and utilize a variety of presentation formats

To accommodate students with differing technological access, instructors should ensure that course materials are available in a variety of formats For example, in addition to live recordings, instructors may want to develop an audio file that accompanies a PDF file Additionally, instructors should ensure that materials are easily viewable on mobile platforms, which are often still accessible to countries with limited bandwidth.

Encourage practices that facilitate international student engagement and a sense of community

These practices can include the usage of private chat functions or breakout sessions, where international students may feel more comfortable expressing their opinions The use of digital portfolios, multimedia discussion forums, or other activities that allow for greater student agency in their learning can also foster engagement.

Considerations for Faculty to Encourage Learner Engagement Online

Managing a Multi Modal Learning Environment

Classroom instruction: Instructors will not necessarily know who will attend each class session in person and must develop course elements (e.g., groupwork) with flexibility.
Online synchronous instruction: Technology facilitates the live-streaming of classes for online students.
Online asynchronous instruction: Content is shared via the Learning Management System (LMS) and is made accessible to all students regardless of delivery mode.

Workload

Student Instructor Interaction

Assessing Learning Progression

Faculty can typically assess learning in ways similar to traditional classes.
Faculty may face greater difficulty in assessing online asynchronous students and may need to rely on alternative practices, such as discussion forums or digital portfolios. Instructors may want to consider developing assessments for all students that specifically keep asynchronous students in mind.

Effective Online Course Element

Graduate instructors should design online courses that allow for greater student agency, as students should better understand their own learning habits necessary for success.

In other words, instructors should move away from teaching strategies that prescribe a strictly defined set of learning activities, which may be more necessary for younger learners. Rather, graduate instructors should facilitate opportunities for students to engage with course material in multiple ways (see figure to the right), facilitated via multi-modal course delivery. Instructors of courses with online elements may want to design course components with some of the following concepts in mind:

Community

Instructors of courses in which both in-person and online participation is allowed must help students feel connected regardless of their selected delivery mode.
In particular, instructors may want to adopt course elements that foster the cohort experience and ensure that asynchronous students, for example, do not disengage from their peers’ learning experience.

Engagement

Online instructors cannot simply provide content, but must make sure to more closely monitor student engagement and observe student participation across different activities.
Instructors may look to adopt more dynamic activities that promote more active learning, including case studies or simulations. Asynchronous course discussions may particularly benefit from strategies to foster dynamic dialogue, including greater instructor participation or student mediation.

Consistency

At the institutional level, consistency in course design across schools or programs will minimize student challenges in adopting to a new course delivery mode. Administrators should develop a common approach to designing new courses and encourage instructors to pre-plan as much of their courses as possible.
To encourage consistency, all instructors should receive training in delivering multi-modal courses. Additionally, institutions should ensure that quality control procedures are in place to evaluate offerings prior to the new academic year.

Discussion Forums
- Stay away from formulaic questions or topics that ask students to recap the reading. - Consider allowing multimedia responses (e.g., videos, concept maps). - Provide prompt feedback to responses and privately encourage students who feel uncomfortable posting.
Frequent Quizzes
- While frequent quizzes can improve student attendance, they can also boost confidence when the time arrives to complete a more comprehensive exam. - Frequent quizzes can also help students retain information, but should be low stakes.
Chat Platforms
- Chat platform scan build community in online courses. - Real-time instant messaging can be used to facilitate study groups. Instructors may want to schedule chat sessions for different times to accommodate students in different time zones, but also allow conversations before and after scheduled class sessions.
Digital Portfolios
- Digital portfolios can provided added reflection opportunities for asynchronous students while also resulting in a professional work sample. - Portfolios also require students to engage with course material but give them agency in selecting topics they find interesting.

Online Courses for International Students

Accommodate students unable to attend synchronous sessions	Establish clear course expectations	Set clear course plans and deliver content in multiple modalities	Use practices that engage international students	Re-evaluate feedback and assessment practices
Ensure students understand how to access lecture recordings and other course materials. Develop a back-up plan for accessing course materials.	Convey clear course learning outcomes. Provide clear guidance as to how, when, and where key course information will be published.	Develop a clear class structure and begin each session with an agenda introducing learning goals. Use multiple modalities, including captioning, to facilitate revisiting of material.	Consider a flipped model that allows students to prepare for class in advance. Facilitate breakout sessions or other small group settings in which students may feel more comfortable.	Consider new ways to provide feedback, including online peer review or virtual conferences. Develop clear assessment guidelines for students who may need to participate in asynchronous elements.
Build community	Promote respect for international students' cultural strengths	Develop opportunities for private meetings with students	Share institutional resources and provide support	Be flexible and accommodating
Design activities to facilitate peer interaction. Consider assigning a class “buddy” to international students not on campus.	Ensure respect for all levels of English proficiency, as international students’ work may be on greater display in an online setting. Be aware of potential discrimination against Asian students in response to COVID-19.	Encourage attendance at virtual office hours and consider one-on-one meetings with disengaged or struggling students. Consider using private chat functions when asking questions in class.	Understand institutional resources and contacts that international students have access to.	Be understanding of individual student circumstances, including visa issues, financial concerns, safety, etc. Be willing to negotiate a mutually acceptable solution for any issues that arise.

Technological Considerations

In order to accommodate students with differing access to technology resources, instructors may need to consider developing course materials that are available in multiple formats. In addition to serving international students, such methods will also accommodate domestic students unable to return to campus due to personal or health reasons who live in underserved areas. Barriers that such students may face include low bandwidth, lack of technology, limited access to libraries or other public resources, or geographical and/or financial obstacles. As a result, while faculty members may naturally gravitate towards synchronous course sessions, developing an array of course materials for students with differing resources will be important in fostering access. Purdue University’s Innovative Learning team has developed the following strategies for instructors to consider:

Video content should be short (3-5 minutes), divided by content, and use captions.	Content should be downloadable	Consider developing content (e.g., Word documents) for students who use screen readers.	Make use of alternative, free materials fromOpen Educational Resources (OER) repositories.	Allow students to locate their own materials (e.g., articles, books, videos) that relate to course topics.

Video content should be short
(3-5 minutes), divided by
content, and use captions.

Content should be downloadable

Consider developing content
(e.g., Word documents) for students who
use screen readers.

Make use of alternative, free
materials fromOpen Educational
Resources (OER) repositories.

Allow students to locate
their own materials
(e.g., articles, books, videos)
that relate to course topics.

Course Design and Delivery

Accessibility and Choice

Collaboration

Diversity of Perspectives

Reflection

For more information please refer to this Hanover report

Learning Technologies

We encourage you to use the step-by-step guides below to learn the mechanics of the learning technologies Texas A&M University supports. In time and with practice, the learning technologies we use for online teaching and learning can fade into the background. Texas A&M University supports and encourages the use of the following learning technologies.

Zoom

Zoom is a video conferencing and online chat platform used increasingly for online education and social relations. Zoom integrates into Canvas and allows for real-time exchanges between students and content; students and professors; and among students. We encourage you to use Zoom in Canvas to improve the student experience in your online course.

Canvas

Texas A&M University’s Learning Management System will soon transition to Canvas. As you transition your online course content to Canvas, you can look forward to enhanced communication, engagement, assessment, and grading features – with mobile capabilities that will create efficiencies and innovations for you and your students.

Technology Guidance

Learn more about Fall 2020 Academic Operations

Cameras and microphones have been installed in all university-managed classrooms. The camera will be preset to capture broad area near front of the room, however, instructions for zooming and panning the camera will be provided in the near future for instructors desiring to change the settings.
Recording synchronous lectures through Zoom is encouraged so that students have an opportunity to revisit the class session. However, please observe the following: (1) at the beginning of each class period, please remind students that the session is being cloud recorded, and (2) the cloud recorded lecture may only be accessible to students enrolled in the course in the current semester through NetID and password. It is recommended that Course Instructors use the Zoom integration through the LMS (available in Canvas) to ensure access is limited to students enrolled in the course in the current semester. Because of FERPA, be aware that recordings should not be used in future semesters.
All courses will be pre-loaded in Canvas. The course syllabus should clearly identify which LMS the students will use as both will be available for use during the next year. The Instructor of Record will be responsible for publishing the course (in Canvas), which will allow students to access content for their class.
The university has implemented a new Bring Your Own Device policy that requires that students have access to technology for online and remote delivery. This policy allows inclusion of the cost of this device as part of the financial aid calculation. Additionally, students can request emergency aid to help purchase the required technology.

Additional Learning Technologies Supported at Texas A&M

Texas A&M University currently supports the following learning technologies. The Office for Academic Innovation promotes learning technologies that integrate into Texas A&M University’s Learning Management System as a way to optimize the teaching and learning experience for both course instructors and students.

ally
accessibility checker
honorlock
hybrid between automated and live proctoring
LinkedIn Learning
to gain new skills.
peerceptiv
student peer-to-peer assessment system.
Respondus Lockdown Browser
to prevent unauthorized internet activity during exams.
TurnItIn
detect plagiarism in written assginments.

Guide to Teaching with Zoom

Getting Started with ZOOM

Step 1: Login to Zoom

Open a browser and navigate to https://tamu.zoom.us
Click the Sign In button
Login with TAMU NetID or Email Address

Step 2: Schedule a Class / Meeting

Basic Recommended Settings
1. Topic
  1. Rename to Course Name and/or Number
  2. Change date and time
  3. Set duration
2. Meeting ID
  1. Generate Automatically
3. Password (optional)
  1. Require Meeting Password
4. Video
  1. Host ON; Participants ON
5. Audio
  1. Telephone and Computer Audio
6. Advanced Options
  1. Only authenitcated users can join
Click Schedule
When you click Schedule, a dialogue box will appear with information for your participants
Click on Copy to Clipboard
Paste the copied information to your established communication channel so that your students can access the meeting information (See Communication)

Step 4: Start your Class / Meeting

Prior to start time log in to Zoom (https://tamu.zoom.us)
Click Meeting
Locate the meeting from the Upcoming Meeting list
Click the meeting Start button

Step 5: End your Class / Meeting

Move your cursor (mouse) to the lower right corner of the window
From the popup menu click End Meeting in lower right-hand corner of screen
Choose End Meeting for All in the dialogue box that will pop up

Recording a Zoom Class / Meeting

When in a meeting, click the Record icon and choose Record to Cloud option
At the end of the meeting, the host may stop the recording by pressing the Stop Recording icon or press End Meeting to stop the Zoom recording.
To access recording links, navigate to tamu.zoom.us in your browser. Sign in with your TAMU NetID and Password
Go to Recording and choose Cloud Recordings
Press the Share icon next to the recording you would like to distribute. You can update the sharing settings and distribute them using the provided link.

NOTE: If you want to record a session for subsequent semesters, make sure you adjust your recording settings to ensure FERPA compliance with respect to capturing and displaying student's names and identifying video. Recommended settings can be found at Zoom recording for subsequent semesters - FERPA compliant instructions.

Delivering Virtual Instruction

Teaching Live using Zoom (Synchronous)

Schedule Zoom Class / Meeting and post the meeting links through your established communication channel
Course instructors and students click on the meeting link (Join URL) at the appropriate time and conduct class as usual

Recording Classes via Zoom (Asynchronous)

Start a Zoom Class / Meeting
Press the Record icon
Deliver your Lecture

Tip: Share content using Share Screen or load slides using Virtual Background to integrate yourself into your Lecture content.

Press the End Meeting icon
Access the recording link by navigating to tamu.zoom.us/in your browser and sign in with your TAMU NetID and Password. On the Recordings section you can find the share icon that will allow you to find the Zoom Cloud Recording link that you can share with your student
Send your students the link to the recording with detailed expectations including assignments through your established communication channel
Watch a Video

Tip: When you share the meeting, click the box that says, “require registration.” This will allow you to see who has viewed the video.

Zoom Features that Enhance Teaching and Learning

Video ON/OFF

Once in a Class / Meeting, you can turn your video ON by clicking the Start Video icon on the bottom left of your screen
To turn video OFF, click the Stop Video icon
Learn more

Muting Participants
To ensure minimal background noise during your Zoom Class / Meeting, it is recommended that you mute everyone on the call when they are not talking.

To do this, click on the Participants icon at the bottom of your screen
Click Mute All in the side panel
Learn more

Managing Participants

As the host of a Class / Meeting, you can manage participants such as Renaming, Muting, Stopping Video and other controls for participants
Learn more

Sharing Screen

Click the Share Screen icon at the bottom of your screen to share your desktop
If you would like to share specific windows or applications, you can choose to do so from the dialog box
Watch a Video

Optional Feature Enhancements:

Select Share Computer Sound and any sound played by your computer will be shared in the Class / Meeting
Select Optimize for Full Screen Video Clip if you will be sharing a video clip in full screen mode. Do not check this otherwise, as it may cause the shared screen to be blurry.
Learn more

Virtual Background

Once in the meeting, you can select a virtual background by clicking the up caret [ /\ ] to the right of the Start Video icon.
Learn more
Watch a Video

Chat in a Class / Meeting
Meeting participants can ask questions during a Zoom Class / Meeting via the meeting Chat.

Start by clicking the Chat icon on the bottom right of your screen
The chat panel will open up on the right and you can view and respond to all public chats
Use the three dots [ … ] to choose whether you want to send messages to all meeting attendees or the host privately

Note: Private Chats will not be visible to the host
To control and disable in-meeting Chat, visit: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/115004809306-Controlling-and-Disabling-In-Meeting-Chat

Zoom Engagement Features

Zoom Tips and Tricks for Virtual Teaching and Learning

For your first class, set aside some time to introduce your students to Zoom and ensure that they are able to connect their audio and video.
Give an agenda or plan for each class by Screen Sharing a document or slide at the beginning of class.
This gives students a clear idea of how the class will progress, what will be covered, and the activities they will engage in.
Discuss online etiquette and expectations of the students in your first virtual class and periodically revisit the topics.
Utilize the Whiteboard or Annotate a shared document and let your students engage as well. When sharing a whiteboard, document, screen, or image, try whiteboarding math problems or have a student use annotation to highlight items such as grammar mistakes in a paper you are sharing.
Take time to promote questions, comments, and reactions from your class. Give a minute to allow your students to utilize reactions, write their questions in Chat, or be Unmuted to ask their questions live.
Divide into smaller groups for a discussion on a certain topic. You can use Zoom’s Breakout Room feature to either pre-assign or auto-assign students into groups for a short period of time so they may discuss together.
Have students be the presenter and share projects with the class. This allows your students to show what they are working on while practicing their presentation skills. It also allows students to hear from one another.
Learn More

Accessibility in Zoom

Live Captioning / Closed Captioning

Auto caption a Zoom Class / Meeting in real time, click the CC Live Transcript icon on the bottom toolbar
Capture every word said with closed captioning.

If you have a student with a disability that requires real time transcription for live lecture presentations or discussions, please contact Disability Resources to coordinate this service.

Captioning After Recording a Video with Zoom

If you plan to record a presentation with Zoom to post for later viewing and need to have the video captioned for a student with hearing loss, instructors should work with their Academic Colleges to determine which vendor you will use to outsource the captioning work.
• More about Captioning Videos

Automatic Transcripts

Facilitate your understanding with automatic transcripts. Transcripts are automatically generated and synchronized to make it easy to search and review meetings recordings. Note that automatic transcripts are not a substitute for professional transcription and captioning for students with hearing loss due to the limited accuracy of automatic transcription.

Keyboard Accessibility

Accomplish all major workflows with ease using a keyboard. Zoom supports Keyboard Shortcuts for easy navigation of Zoom features.

Screen Reader Support

Use Zoom without a screen. Zoom follows the latest accessibility standards to ensure that the product is fully accessible to the latest screen readers.

Five Zoom Features to Enhance Teaching & Learning at Texas A&M

Custom Gallery View

Meeting hosts can customize a virtual class seating arrangement. This feature locks the gallery into a fixed configuration that will not shift when a new person speaks or enters the meeting. As host you can choose to deploy the custom gallery view to all meeting participants.

Find this Feature

Overview

There are 3 video layouts when no one in the meeting is screen sharing: Active Speaker View, Gallery View, and floating thumbnail window. When someone is screen sharing, you can use Side-by-side Mode or view the screen share with Active Speaker View. Any of these layouts can be used in fullscreen or windowed mode, with the exception of the floating thumbnail view.

You can also pin or spotlight up to 9 participants' videos.

This article covers:

Active Speaker View
Gallery View
Full screen
Custom Gallery View organization
Floating thumbnail window
Layout when screen sharing
Hide non-video participants
Switching between Gallery View and Active Speaker View

Prerequisites

Requirements for displaying up to 49 thumbnails per page in Gallery View:

Zoom desktop client for Windows or macOS, version 5.2.0 or higher
Display up to 49 participants per screen in Gallery View option enabled in the desktop client video settings
Note: If your computer does not meet the CPU requirements, this option is unavailable.
Supported processors for single monitor
- Intel i5 - 4 cores or higher, gen 4 or higher
- Intel i7, i9, Xeon - 2 cores or higher
- Intel Atom - 6 cores or higher
- Other Intel processors - 6 cores or higher, 3.0GHz frequency or higher
- AMD Ryzen 5 series
Supported processors for dual monitors
- Intel i5 - 4 cores or higher, gen 6 or higher, and 2.0GHz frequency or higher
- Intel i7, i9, Xeon - 4 cores or higher
- Intel Atom - 6 cores or higher and 1.6GHz frequency of higher; or 8 cores or higher
- Other Intel processors - 8 cores or higher, 3.0GHz frequency or higher; or 12 cores or higher
- AMD Ryzen 7/9 series
Note: While using dual monitors in the desktop client gallery view will still only be shown on one monitor.

Requirements for custom Gallery View organization:

Zoom desktop client for Windows or macOS, version 5.2.2 or higher

Active Speaker View

Active Speaker View will switch the large video window between who is speaking with 3 or more participants in the meeting. If it is just you and one other participant, your video will be smaller at the top and their video will appear below.

While in a meeting, you can switch between Active Speaker View and Gallery View.

Gallery View

Gallery View lets you see thumbnail displays of participants, in a grid pattern, which expands and contracts as participants join and leave the meeting. Depending on your CPU, you can display up to 49 participants in a single screen of the gallery view. If more than 49 attendees are in the meeting, 49 thumbnails are displayed on each page. View up to 1,000 thumbnails by clicking the right or left arrows in gallery view to display the next page of 49 participants.

While in a meeting, you can customize the order of Gallery View or switch between Active Speaker View and Gallery View.

Full screen

You can switch any of the layouts (except floating the thumbnail window) to full screen mode by double-clicking your Zoom window.

You can exit full screen by double-clicking again or using the Esc key on your keyboard.

Note: In older versions of macOS, click Meeting and Enter Fullscreen in the Top Menu bar.

Custom Gallery View organization

When in Gallery View, you can click and drag videos to create a custom organization. After the first change, all other participant tiles will remain in place until moved. New participants will be added to the bottom-right, on the last page if multiple are present. Your custom order will be seen only by you, or the host can deploy their custom view to all participants. This order can be released and gallery view will return to normal behavior.

Click and drag any participant video to the location on screen you want.
Continue as needed to achieve your desired on-screen order.
(Optional) As the host, click View, then Follow Host's Video Order, to deploy your custom view to all participants.
Click View, then Release Video Order, to release the custom order.

Floating thumbnail window

The floating thumbnail window allows you to minimize the main Zoom window, but keep the video on top of other applications you have open. You can move the window around your screen as needed, or hide the video entirely.

To switch to floating thumbnail view:

Click on the minimize icon, located at the top-right corner for Windows, or top-left corner for macOS.
Once in mini-window view, you can collapse the video by clicking on the arrow on the left side. Click the arrow again to expand the video thumbnail.
To close the floating thumbnail window and return to the full Zoom window click the arrow on the right side.

Layout when screen sharing

When viewing shared content, you will see a layout similar to Active Speaker, where the shared content is below and other videos tiles are along the top. If in fullscreen, the shared content will fill the screen and video tiles will become smaller, movable thumbnails.

You can also view the shared screen in Side-by-side Mode.

Hide non-video participants

When you are in Gallery View, right-click on any participant that either has their video off or joined by telephone, or you can click on the 3 dots at the upper-right corner of their participant box.
Click Hide Non-Video Participants to hide all participants without video.
To show non-video participants again, click the View button at the top of your screen and select Show Non-Video Participants.

PowerPoint or Keynote as Virtual Background

Meeting hosts and participants can select a PowerPoint or Keynote file to use as a virtual background and move through the slides with the left and right arrows.

Find this Feature

Overview

While you can share PowerPoint presentations or share Keynote presentations in meetings, you can also share your presentation as a Virtual Background for an immersive sharing experience. Sharing your slides as a Virtual Background allows your participants to view your video imposed directly on the screen share. It also allows you to manage your presentation directly from within the Zoom meeting controls.

Note: Sound, transitions, or animations embedded in slides are not supported.

If the presenter records the meeting locally, the recording will also have the video embedded on top of the slides. If the host or another participant records the meeting locally, they must be on at least 5.2.0 or higher for the video to be embedded on the slides. If they are on any version older than 5.2.0 or record to the cloud, the recording will record the slides and video as a normal screen share recording.

This feature is currently in beta, available to all customers. If you do not want your account to use this feature, please contact Zoom support to request that this feature be disabled.

This article covers:

Sharing a presentation as your background
Managing slides and video
- Changing slides
- Changing video size and position
- Remove your video from slides

Prerequisites

Presenter requirements

Zoom Desktop Client for Windows, version 5.2.0 (42619.0804) or higher
Zoom Desktop Client for macOS, version 5.2.0 (42634.0805) or higher
Make sure your computer meets the system requirements for Virtual Background
PowerPoint installed locally
Keynote installed locally (macOS only)

Viewer requirements

Zoom Desktop Client
- Windows: 5.2.0 (42619.0804) or higher
- macOS: 5.2.0 (42634.0805) or higher
- Linux: 5.2.0 (440215.0803) or higher
Zoom Mobile App
- Android: 5.2.0 (42588.0803) or higher
- iOS: 5.2.0 or higher

Note: If a participant is on a version lower than what is stated above or joining from the Web client, a Zoom Room, or 3rd party endpoint, they will view the slides as a normal screen share, and the presenter's video will not be imposed over the slides.

Sharing a presentation as your background

Click the Share Screen button located in your meeting controls.
Click Advanced.
Click Slides as Virtual Background.
Browse, and select the PowerPoint presentation file.
Click Open.

Once the presentation has been imported, the slides will be shown as your virtual background. If your video is on, by default it will be imposed over the slides.

Managing slides and video

Once the share has started, you can manage your video and slides from the meeting controls.

Changing slides

To navigate through your slides, use the next and previous buttons in the meeting controls.

Changing video size and position

To reposition or change the size of your video:

Click, the ... in the presentation menu.
Click Resize My Video.
Click and hold one of the 4 corners of the image, and drag your mouse to resize the image.
Click and hold the center of your image, then drag your mouse to reposition the image on the slide.

Remove your video from slides

If you want to stop imposing your video on top of the slides and have it sent as a separate video feed:

Click, the ... in the presentation menu.
Click Split Video from Slides.
Your participants will now view your slides as a normal screen share and your video feed will be sent as a separate feed. You can still navigate slides in the meeting controls.
To re-impose your video on the slides, click Merge Video and Slides.

Spotlight a Video

Meeting hosts can spotlight up to nine participants for the entire meeting, creating a custom, focused group view that is visible to the entire class. This feature is ideal for a group of students to present to the entire class or to spotlight guest speakers.

Find this Feature

Overview

Spotlight video puts up to 9 participants as the primary active speakers for all participants, and participants will only see these speakers. This feature is often used to spotlight a keynote speaker.

This article covers spotlighting videos on the Zoom desktop client and Zoom mobile app, but you can also spotlight videos in Zoom Rooms.

Alternatively, you can pin up to 9 participants' videos, which will make them the primary speaker on your device only. Other participants will still have Active Speaker.

Prerequisites

In a Meeting

Host or co-host privileges for the meeting
Zoom desktop client or Zoom mobile app
Three (3) or more participants with video on
Note: Spotlighting multiple videos requires desktop client version 5.2.2 on Windows or macOS

In a Webinar

Host or co-host privileges for the webinar
Zoom desktop client or Zoom mobile app
Two (2) or more participants with video on
Note: Spotlighting multiple videos requires desktop client version 5.2.2 on Windows or macOS

Pin a Video

To keep a participant's video from disappearing, meeting hosts and participants can pin a participant’s video. This is a useful feature if a participant needs to focus on a particular participant who may not always be speaking.

Find this Feature

Overview

Pin video allows you to disable active speaker view and only view up to 9 specific speakers. It will also only record the pinned videos if you are recording locally (to your computer). Pinning another participant's video will only affect your local view and local recordings, not the view of other participants and will not affect cloud recordings.

This article covers pinning videos on the Zoom Desktop Client, but you can also pin videos in Zoom Rooms.

Alternatively, you can spotlight up to 9 videos. Spotlight video puts a participant as the primary active speaker for all participants. All participants will only see the selected speakers as the active speakers. This feature is often used to spotlight a keynote speaker.

Prerequisites

Zoom desktop client for Windows, macOS, or Linux
Zoom mobile client for Android or iOS
2 participants or more sharing video
(Optional) You can pin a second screen if are you using dual monitor
Note: Pinning multiple videos requires desktop client version 5.2.2 on Windows or macOS

Improved Background Noise Suppression

Remove distracting noises that can be picked up by participants' microphones by adjusting background noise suppressions by choosing to enable Low, Medium, High, or Automatic background noise suppression.

Find this Feature

Overview

The Zoom client has options that allow the utilization of noise suppression, which can help remove distracting noises that can be picked up by participants' microphones. Background noise, like paper crunching, keyboard typing, fan noise, dog barking, and other noises will bee filtered out to create a better meeting experience. By default Zoom automatically does do background noise reduction. However, the option can be changed to be more or less aggressive based on the environment and use case.

Prerequisites

Zoom Desktop Client for Windows, version 5.2.0 or higher
Zoom Desktop Client for macOS, version 5.2.0 or higher

Instructions

1. In the Zoom Desktop Client, click your profile picture then click Settings.

2. Click the Audio tab.

3. Click the drop-down menu next to Suppress background noise, to change the setting:

Auto: This is the default setting, and will apply moderate background noise reduction when needed. It will auto adjust the aggressiveness for blocking background noise based on what it detects in the background. If music is detected, it will not treat the music as background noise.
Low: Noise reduction will be minimal. It will block low levels of persistent background noise.
Note: This setting is best for casually playing music, as it will preserve as much of the original sound as possible. For highest fidelity when playing music, consider using the Enable Original Audio setting in your advanced audio settings.
Medium: Best for reducing and eliminating background noise in standard environments, including fans, pen tapping, etc.
High: Noise reduction will be at its most aggressive, and eliminate noise such as crunching of paper or wrappers, keyboard typing, etc.
Note: Enabling this option may increase CPU utilization.

Additional Online Resources

Promoting Academic Integrity Online

Accommodating Students with Disabilities

Communication Access

If you teach a class that has an interpreter or transcriptionist to help with communication in the classroom, please be sure to collaborate with Disability Resources about how these accommodations will be implemented in an online environment and/or what alternatives might need to be considered.

Accessible Educational Materials

When creating new materials to be posted online, be sure to follow best practices for creating documents that are fully accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Creating Accessible Documents

Facilitating Exam Accommodations

Be prepared to implement common exam accommodations such as extra time. Consult with Disability Resources if there is an accommodation you may need help with implementing in an online setting (such as a reader, scribe or access to assistive technology).

Captioning

When creating new videos to be posted online, be sure to follow best practices for captiioning so that videos are fully accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Captioning your Videos for your Online Course

Open Education Resources

All Disciplines

LinkedIn Learning at TAMU grants you access to over 13,000 courses that can supplement course content, allowing students to explore concepts at their own pace. You can also explore the courses to learn new teaching techniques and strategies.
MERLOT serves as a repository housing over 90 virtual labs.
OpenStax offers free open-sourced textbooks on a variety of disciplines.
Open Textbook Library offers free open-sourced textbooks on a variety of disciplines.
Online-learning platform Coursera is making all its courses free
Khan Academy offers free online courses and video resources to supplement course content.
Khan Academy's commitment to COVID-19

STEM

Journal of Visual Experiments offers over 9,000 video demonstrating experiments, mapped to key concepts and student protocols

Visit www.jove.com
Click Log In in the top right corner
Click Sign Up under the log in option
Fill in information using TAMU institutional email address
Confirm email address from your TAMU inbox

Free Online Interactive Simulations for Math and Science

Liberal Arts /Languages

Open Culture has cultivated free resources, including MOOCs, movies, audiobooks, and e-books relating to cultural and educational media.
Biography.com has biographical stories of famous and historically relevant people.
TAMU Library has created a repository of language related resources and library guides.

Health Sciences

Open Michigan from the University of Michigan offers Open Health Collections that includes resources such as textbooks, courses, audio-videos, journals, images, datasets, software, and other mixed content relating to health sciences.
HOSA offers a repository of free and open e-learning resources for health care professionals.
The National Institute of Health offers no-and low-cost resources for global health research that include course materials.

University Libraries

Learning Communities for Course Instructors

Zoom

LinkedIn Learning

Even More Resources

Association of College and University Educators
Online Teaching Toolkit

Chronicle of Higher Education
How to Make your Online Pivot Less Brutal

Texas A&M University College of Liberal Arts
COVID Guide - Online & Virtual Instruction Design Guide

Texas A&M University Mays Business School
Keep Teaching resources with information more specific to Mays Business School faculty.

iDesign iDEA Book
Educational Research and Practice Examples for Distinctive Course Design

Inside Higher Ed
So You Want to Teach Online

Stanford University
Teaching Effectively During Times of Disruption

University of Sydney
Supporting Learning and Teaching for Off-Campus Students

Exam Experience Guide

We encourage you to use the resources in this section to create a consistent and high-quality exam experience for your students. Given variability across Texas A&M University’s many degree programs, course instructors will need to account for diverse exam types, assessment objectives, and relative importance of exams while using these resources. A special thanks to the Fall 2020 Exam Experience Committee for thoroughly curating easy-to-use guides and checklists targeting both course instructor and student responsibilities.

Remote Exam Checklist

Review academic integrity responsibilities for course instructors and students.
Select a proctoring option to ensure academic integrity.
Design high-stakes assessments using the learning management system, Canvas.
Communicate exam conditions to students ahead of the exam.

Please note that course instructors should use the learning management system, Canvas, which requires student identity verification, to provide student access to exam materials. Course instructors may choose to proctor online exams using Zoom (or any university-approved video conferencing application) or other university-approved proctoring solutions (Respondus, Honorlock, and the Aggie Proctoring Center).

Academic Integrity is a Shared Responsibility

Course Instructor Responsibilities

Course instructors should consider the student experience and not create needlessly complex exams as a means of deterring cheating. Course instructors should also be cognizant of increased student anxiety during COVID-19 and not assume that all students have high proficiency with online learning technologies. Acceptable examination conditions must be communicated to students.

maroon outlined laptop with a graduation cap in a speech bubble

Student Responsibilities

Students must abide by the Aggie Honor Code. They must adhere to exam conditions and they must communicate technical troubles to the appropriate person or entity.

Considerations for Online Proctoring Options

Course instructors should carefully consider the strengths and weaknesses of online proctoring solutions. They should design assessments in accordance with learning outcomes, assessment goals, and limitations imposed by the format.

Course Instructor Concerns Regarding Suitability of Online Exam Proctoring Solutions

Considerations for Online Proctoring Options

	Respondus Lockdown Browser	Respondus Monitor	Honorlock	Aggie Proctoring Center	Faculty Proctoring using Zoom
Is video of students taking the exam available?	No	Yes	Yes	Faculty may record the first screen of 49 participants	Faculty may record the primary screen of 49 participants
Is my exam secure? How do I know that it will not be copied and shared on screen?	Student screen capturing is blocked	Student screen capturing is blocked	Honorlock has protocols for exam integrity	No specific protocols; Aggie Proctors will observe and document if student uses second device to take pictures of computer screen	No specific protocols
Will I have access to quality evidence supporting a possible misconduct allegation?	Individual student report showing “flags” suggesting possible misconduct	Individual student report showing “flags” suggesting possible misconduct	Individual student report showing “flags” suggesting possible misconduct	Individual student report showing “flags” suggesting possible misconduct. Faculty may record, but the recording may not be sufficient to develop a compelling misconduct allegation	Faculty may record, but the recording may not be sufficient to develop a compelling misconduct allegation
Do I need to train proctors?	No	No	No	No, but you (or an official designee) must be present during the live proctored exams	Faculty (or an official designee) must be present. Faculty should not create multiple zoom sessions for an exam. If faculty chooses to use additional proctors, faculty must provide training
Is this solution suitable for low-stakes exam?*	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Is this solution suitable for a high-stakes exam?**	Modest security measures in place	Modest security measures in place	Yes	Depends on proctor-to-student ratio and other exam protocols	Depends on proctor-to-student ratio and other exam protocols
Is this solution suitable for exams where faculty allow students to use reference materials such as paper notes, printed book, etc.?	No	Not recommended	No	Yes, but faculty must provide instructions to Aggie Proctors	Yes
Is this solution suitable for exam requiring paper and written problem-solving?	No	Not recommended	Not recommended	Yes, but faculty must provide instructions to Aggie Proctors	Yes
What are known technical issues?	Known Issues

* A low-stakes exam is an assessment of student learning worth less than 10% of total grade, covering modest breadth and depth of course material, and using exam questions that do not need to be secured

** A high-stakes exam is an assessment of student learning worth more than 10% of total grade, covering significant breadth and depth of course materials, and using exam questions that should be secured

Student Concerns Regarding Suitability of Online Exam Proctoring Solutions

Concerns PDF Version

	Respondus Lockdown Browser	Honorlock	Aggie Proctoring Center	Faculty Proctoring using Zoom
How do I know the required test-taking environment?	Prepared instructions by Respondus. Instructor can add tailored instructions	Instructor determines; Honorlock implements	Determined by instructor and communicated to proctors	Determined by instructor
How can I avoid being accused of misconduct?	Adhere to the Aggie Honor Code; respect the faculty ownership of exam materials and do not reproduce exam materials; follow exam protocols
What computing resources do I need besides the minimum requirements?	Respondus system requirements	Honorlock system requirements	Zoom, stable internet connection	Zoom or other application determined by instructor, stable internet connection
Where should I take the exam?	An environment compliant with exam conditions; also consider Library Room Reservations and Open Access Labs
What should I have in my background when I am taking a remote-proctored exam?	Plain, blank wall; avoid windows, bright lights, busy walls, shelves of books, bulletin boards, dry erase boards with notes, offensive posters/pictures, etc.

Shared Concerns Regarding Suitability of Online Exam Proctoring Options

	Respondus Lockdown Browser	Respondus Monitor	Honorlock	Aggie Proctoring Center	Faculty Proctoring using Zoom
Is proctoring invasive of student and faculty privacy?	Student privacy is very important to TAMU faculty and students, especially in these uncertain times. To learn more about how Honorlock protects students privacy, please view this FAQ and the student privacy statement from Honorlock and Respondus. Honorlock Protects Student Privacy LockDown Browser Privacy Information
Are there procedures for handling exceptions?****	Canvas has settings for exceptions
How can online proctoring address students with disability accommodations?	Consult with staff at Disability Resources
Do I have to take my face covering off?	No

**** Exceptions are defined as a temporary Internet outage, a computer failure, or a significant problem with proctoring software

Ensuring Academic Integrity with Learning Management System Assessment Tools

Best Practices for Ensuring Academic Integrity when Creating an Exam in the LMS

Several recommended Canvas best practices can help ensure academic integrity. They can be applied when creating an exam with or without the proctoring options mentioned above.

maroon outlined stacked pages with lines as text

Randomize the question order

Exam with Allowed Reference Materials

Answer Availability

The Canvas Quizzes tool allows for random question order across exams. Faculty members can enable these settings to minimize cheating.

Guide to Alternative Assessments

Alternative assessments aim to assess what students know and how they can apply that knowledge. Rather than focusing on a correct answer, alternative assessments explore the process and reasoning behind the response. Alternative assessments are also called "authentic assessments" because they provide opportunities for students to engage in real-world applications of their knowledge and skills.

What do I want to assess?

Acquisition of specific content knowledge or ability to apply that knowledge to new situations
Production of a product or the process to produce it
Writing ability
Speaking skills
Ability to visually organize or express content
Ability to work in a group or team
Performance in a time- constrained assessment situation

What are examples of quiz & exam alternatives?

What are examples of paper alternatives?

Literature review
Executive summary
Research or grant proposal
Scientific abstract
Policy summary, memo, or briefing
Paper start (thesis & outline)
Professional poster or presentation
Annotated research bibliography
Fact sheet
Reflective paper
Infographic
Op-Ed
Multimedia discussion board
Blogs
Vlogs
Podcasts

What about grading?

Detailed rubrics help streamline the grading of alternative assessments. When included in the assignment
information provided to students, rubrics also provide valuable guidance to students on the characteristics
of quality work.

Adding a peer review component to alternative assessments can help manage the grading load while
enhancing the student learning experience by providing practice with reflection and feedback.

Where can I get more information?

Exam Conditions Checklists for Course Instructors and Students

The following checklists are designed for course instructors to design and communicate the exam conditions ahead of the exam to ensure student success during the exam.

Course Instructor Exam Conditions Responsibilities Checklist

Online Proctoring Concern
Identification of student taking exam	Authentication into the LMS is sufficient for Zoom-proctored exams
Working camera and microphone	Emphasize minimum computing requirements
Stable internet connection	Consider exceptions but note that students often cannot provide evidence of unstable internet. Do not alter exam day/times after published on syllabus. Develop a contingency plan for Internet outages. Remind students about Library Room Reservations and Open Access Labs
Recommended browser	Depends on LMS and proctoring solution. Review the system and browser requirements for the proctoring solution used by the faculty member and make sure you have access to the correct browser and system technologies.
Exam environment	Exam instructions should define the environment; items to consider include clean desk or table; no outside noise or distractions; adequate lighting to have visible test environment; and testing space ready for 360 degree scan. Remind students that their backgrounds may be captured in recordings.
Remain visible in webcam	Consider exceptions for breaks during long exams
Prohibited devices or actions	Clearly indicate prohibited and allowed devices or actions. Review with students before exam.
Students with disabilities	Review and respond to accommodation requests from students. Communicate with the Disability Resources office if you have questions
Communication before, during, and after the exam	Create a low-stakes ‘practice’ exam to test the system and encourage confidence. Ask students not to say “I’m finished” at end of exam because it is distracting to other students. Zoom best practices: mute all, chat only with host.

Student Exam Conditions Responsibilities Checklist

Online Proctoring Concern
Identification of student taking exam	Faculty may require ID check for Honorlock, Respondus, faculty proctoring, or the Aggie Proctoring Center
Working camera and microphone	Comply with minimum computing requirements
Stable internet conenction	Plan ahead for exam day/times when you must have a stable internet. These dates are on the class syllabus. Do you have a contingency plan for outages?
Recommended browser	Depends on the online proctoring solutions used. Solution may require students to remain visible during the testing period.
Exam environment	Comply with exam environment requirements. Consider that recording may capture embarrassing or inappropriate materials. A blank wall is recommended.
Remain visible in webam	Depends on the online proctoring solutions used, it may require students to remain visible during the testing period.
Prohibited devices or actions	Comply with stated restrictions. Ask questions if restrictions are unclear. Honorlock has specific restrictions.
Students with disabilities	Discuss accommodation request several days before the exam per instructions from Disability Resources
Communication before, during, and after the exam	Prepare for the technical demands of the exam. If there is a “practice” exam, use it to test your systems and procedures. Follow end-of-exam procedures.

Online Exam Proctoring Options

Texas A&M University supports four options to promote academic integrity when administering online exams

Proctoring with Respondus Tools
Restriction of Software on Computer
Proctoring with Honorlock
Automated + Live Pop-In Tool
Aggie Proctoring Center
Live Proctoring with Record + Review
Proctoring with Zoom
Faculty Supported Live Online

TAMU Online Proctoring at a Glance

Type of Proctoring	Restriction of Software on Computer	Record and Review	Automated with Live Proctor Pop-In	Live Proctoring with Record and Review	Live Proctoring
Requires Exam be in LMS	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Minimum System Requirements and Technical Specifications Canvas	- Review Minimum System Requirements - How to Install - Pre-Install Information - Quick Start Guide		- Review Minimum System Requirements for Honorlock - System Check (Scroll down to “What You Need")	- Review Minimum System Requirements for Zoom - Zoom Supported Browsers
Canvas Resources	Step-by-Step Guide (PDF)	Step-by-Step Guide (PDF)	Proctoring with Honorlock Canvas (Video)	Proctoring with the Aggie Proctoring Center (No LMS)	Proctoring with Zoom PDF Guide (No LMS)

*Does not work on a Chromebook | PDF verison | Please note that the options provided are in lieu of alternative live proctoring services. You are also encouraged to consider alternative assessment strategies where applicable.

**Approved for Distance Education Programs in the following units: College of Engineering, College of Nursing, Mays Business School, School of Law, and School of Public Health.

Getting Started

Creating an Exam in Canvas Using the Quizzes Tool

Online Proctoring Options

Online Exam Proctoring with Respondus Tools

Texas A&M has enabled Respondus Lockdown Browser and Respondus Monitor in Canvas.

Respondus Lockdown Browser Overview

Respondus Lockdown Browser is a tool that works in Canvas to prevent students from accessing other applications on their desktop/laptop, including other browsers and communications channels, during the exam.

Respondus Lockdown Browser only works when taking an exam inside of Canvas (Quizzes tool) on a Mac or a PC and does not work on a mobile device, tablet, or Chromebook.

Respondus Monitor Overview

Respondus Monitor is a tool used in conjunction with Respondus Lockdown Browser in Canvas to record students taking the exam using Artificial Intelligence. This algorithm flags any testing irregularities for review by the faculty member and/or TA.

Respondus Monitor only works when taking an exam inside of Canvas (Quizzes tool) on a Mac or a PC and does not work on a mobile device, tablet, or Chromebook.

Respondus Lockdown Browser and Monitor in Canvas

(See also PDF download of Proctoring with Respondus Tools)

Step 1: Create an Exam in Canvas using the Quiz tool

Creating an Exam in Canvas using the Quiz tool (downloadable PDF)
Additional Resources on Creating Exams in Canvas

Step 2: Assign the quiz to use Respondus Lockdown Browser

From the course navigation, click on Respondus Lockdown Browser
Locate the quiz from those listed and click the arrow to Modify Settings
Select the radio button to Require LockDown Browser for this exam
Modify the Advanced Settings as needed.

Password Settings (optional)
Advanced Settings (optional)
Review and modify settings pertaining to the exam

Step 3: Assign the exam to use Respondus Monitor

1. Click on Require Respondus Monitor for this exam

Startup Sequence (edit the text as needed)
1. Webcam Check
2. Additional Instructions
3. Guidelines + Tips
4. Student Photo
5. Show ID
6. Environment Check
7. Facial Detection Check
Facial Detection Options
1. Prevent students from starting the exam if face cannot be detected during Startup Sequence.
2. Notify students during the exam if face cannot be detected (prompt for a fix)

2. Click on Save + Close when ready to submit

Step 4: Deliver instructions to students
Note: This application is only available for Windows PCs and MacOS. Any other system will not be able to download this software. For any other computer systems, we recommend using Live Online Proctoring with Zoom

Students,
This course will require the use of Respondus LockDown Browser and/or Respondus Monitor to complete exams. To prepare for the exams, please read the following information: :

Install Respondus LockDown Browser

The Respondus LockDown Browser may be installed on any Windows or Mac computer. Visit the LockDown Browser download for TAMU to access the download.

Respondus LockDown Browser is NOT compatible with Google Chromebooks. If you had planned to use a Chromebook, please make accommodations to take an assigned test on a different computer with LockDown Browser. .

Test your computer to make sure everything is working properly before the exam.

After you log into Canvas using Respondus LockDown Browser, you can click the information bubble, located at the top of the browser. This will take you to the "Help Center", where you can run a "Webcam Check" and a comprehensive "System Check" on your computer and browser. Read more about the Help Center here: https://web.respondus.com/monitor-helpcenter/

If the test start page is asking for a password and you were not given one for the exam

This normally appears when you try to access the test through your usual browser, such as Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, etc.

If your test states that it "Requires Respondus LockDown Browser," ensure you have installed the application from the link above and open the Respondus LockDown Browser to access your test.

If your Lockdown browser freezes during a test

In case your browser freezes, read the following Knowledgebase page: LockDown Browser froze during a test and I cannot exit

Step 5: Administer quiz in Canvas

During the exam window, students will complete the exam using the Respondus LockDown Browser application to access Canvas.
When the exam is submitted, instructors and/or teaching assistants will be able to view the grades for the exam in Grades.

Step 6: Review Respondus Monitor Videos

From the course navigation, click on Respondus LockDown Browser
Click the downward facing arrow next to the quiz you wish to review, and select Class Results
Click + (the plus sign) next to a student's name to see details about that student's session
Thumbnails in the student's report point to moments in the video when violations may have occurred
Once you have reviewed a student's session, you can click the button in the "Reviewed" column to help you keep track.

Step 7: Review student recordings
To view a student's recording, click the [ + ] button to the left of the student's name.

Note: It may take up to 12 hours after the exam is completed for videos to process.

The video review section will include:

Summary of key data
Timeline with flags and milestones for review
Thumbnail images from video

Review Priority is a comprehensive measure that conveys whether a student's exam session warrants a closer look by the instructor. Results appear in Low, Medium, and High categories with a green-to-red bar graph conveying the risk level.

Flagged events and the Review Priority value don't determine whether a student has cheated or not. Rather, they are tools to help identify suspicious activities, anomalies, or situations where the data is of too low of a quality to analyze.

Best Practices for Using Respondus Tools in LMS

Students should have already installed and launched Respondus LockDown Browser at least 30 minutes prior to the beginning of the exam window. This will allow students to address hardware and software issues that could arise and for authentication within Respondus Monitor. Students may need to allow extra time for server response due to possible increased volume.

Conduct a Pre-exam check using Respondus Lockdown Browser, such as a practice exam, at least 24 hours before the exam.

Faculty and/or TAs should be available for students during the exam window to assist with any issues they may encounter, including internet or technical issues with their device

Accessing Respondus Lockdown Browser and Respondus Monitor from Classic Quizzes in Canvas

From a student’s perspective, this is how LockDown Browser is used to take an assessment.

Locate the “LockDown Browser” shortcut on the desktop and double-click it. (For Mac users, launch “LockDown Browser” from the Applications folder.)
If prompted to close a blocked program (e.g. screen capture, instant messaging) choose Yes when prompted.
Log into your Canvas course using a student login.
Navigate to the quiz and click Take a Quiz.
If the student is required to use a webcam to record themselves during the test, a Startup Sequence will guide the student through a webcam check and other items required by the instructor.
Once a quiz has been started with LockDown Browser, you cannot exit until the SubmitQuiz button is clicked.

Tip: Prior to the first quiz, have students complete a practice quiz that uses LockDown Browser to make sure they have installed it correctly

Resource: Respondus Lockdown Browser and Respondus Monitor - Classic Quizzes

Accessing Respondus Lockdown Browser and Respondus Monitor from New Quizzes in Canvas

From a student’s perspective, this is how LockDown Browser is used for a quiz. Tip: Prior to the first quiz, have students complete a practice test that uses LockDown Browser to make sure they have installed it correctly.

Log into Canvas with a regular browser, select the course and navigate to the quiz.
If LockDown Browser has not previously been installed, the student will be prompted to download and install the browser.
Return to the quiz and open it to launch LockDown Browser.
If the student is required to use a webcam to record themselves during the quiz, a Startup Sequence will guide the student through a webcam check and other items required by the instructor.

Note: Once a test has been started with LockDown Browser, the student cannot exit the test until the test has been submitted for grading.

Resource: Respondus Lockdown Browser and Respondus Monitor - New Quizzes

Online Exam Proctoring with Honorlock

Honorlock’s Live Proctor Pop-In is the industry’s first hybrid between automated and live proctoring. For a comprehensive list of student FAQs, please visit Keep Learning where these are being curated.

How Honorlock Works

With the Live Pop-In feature, artificial intelligence (ai) runs in the background and notifies Honorlock’s proctors of any suspicious activity or noted inconsistencies with the testing guidelines.

Live proctors then enter an analysis window where they view the student taking the exam in a one-to-one setting and determine if this warrants interrupting the student’s session.

Once in the student’s exam session, the live proctor can further assess the situation and speak directly with the student. The proctor works with the student to correct the deficiency.

If academic dishonesty is suspected or apparent, the proctor requires the student to immediately stop that activity, and the course instructor is contacted directly via email with the student’s name, timestamp of the incident, and a brief description of what occurred at that time.
For all other violations, the student’s session is marked with an indicator that a pop-in occurred. In situations in which the ai raises a false flag, the proctor dismisses the notification and does not disturb the student.

By performing these functions, Honorlock helps to save course instructors time by reducing the number of false flags that need to review once students complete the exam. This can also prevent the student from having future incidents within the exam and guide the student to take the exam within the parameters and guidelines set forth by the course instructor.

Using Honorlock for a Universal Exam

Navigate to Honorlock in your Learning Management System.
Locate and click the three white vertical dots in the top right of the LTI.
Click Register Third Party Exam.
Name the Exam to match the name of the exam being administered within the third-party platform.
Next, set the Exam Start and Exam End times to match the start and end times of the exam being administered within the third-party platform.
In your third-party platform, it is important to make sure that the exam is password-protected. Set a password in your third-party platform for the exam and copy and paste it under Exam Password. If the password does not match, students will not be able to start the exam. If you do not set a password on the exam, students will be able to start the exam un-proctored.
Lastly, type in your third-party exam platform name under Exam Platform.
Select your preferred proctoring settings for the exam. For an in-depth explanation of each of these options, please scroll down to the Proctoring Settings section of this guide.
Enable the Student Guidelines and clarifying info in the Additional Instructions section. Add in any Accommodation info as well. For a detailed explanation of each of these options, please scroll down to the Student Guidelines section of this guide.
Make sure to click the blue Create button to save your settings. Your third-party exam is now created and enabled with Honorlock. Third party exams will be identified with a third-party exam icon.

See Additional Resources:
Using Honorlock and Examsoft

Final Exams in Honorlock

Access Codes: It is important you do NOT edit the Access Code that’s set when you enable an assessment with Honorlock. Editing or removing the Access Code could prevent students from entering the assessment or it could allow them to enter the assessment without proctoring. For additional information about access codes, please refer to this article.
Support: Honorlock support is available 24/7/365 for you and your students. Students are encouraged to reach out to Honorlock Support via LiveChat by clicking on the chat bubble at the bottom right of any Honorlock enabled assessment.
Images/Diagrams: If you’re going to include any images or diagrams within your assessment, please ensure that you have granted your students permission to those files in advance.
Browser Guard: If students are required to access an application outside of their exam, such as Microsoft Word or Excel, Browser Guard will need to be disabled for your assessment.
Whitelisting URLs: If you would like to allow your students to reference a website during the exam, you have the ability to whitelist specific URLs. (Note: the more granular the website URL, the better control over what content is able to be accessed by your students.)
Google Chrome is the only browser Honorlock supports. Please encourage your exam takers to use Chrome when taking all assessments.

Honorlock in Canvas

Step 1: Enable Honorlock on Course Navigation in Canvas

Step 2: Create Exam in Canvas using Quiz Tool

Step 3: Enable Honorlock and Set Options for Exam

From the course navigation, click Honorlock
If prompted, click on Authorize Honorlock access to your account
When the Honorlock window opens, click the blue Enable button next to your chosen quiz.
Set the options from the Proctoring Settings, Student Guidelines, Accommodations and Exam honoVisibility Settings. For more information on the options you can select for your exam, view the Using HonorLock with Canvas Guide When done, click Save.
Honorlock should now be enabled for your exam.

(An Instructor of Record needs to launch the Honorlock tool (and enable) once in a course before a TA or Alternate Instructor can enable Honorlock in an exam. This only needs to be done once by the IOR in each course wanting to use Honorlock)

Step 4: Set Student Accommodations Using Duplicate Exam (if applicable)

Certain accommodations will trigger consistent flags throughout the testing experience (voice recognition, text-to-speech, live reader or scribe), for those exams you will need to create a duplicate exam with Honorlock disabled, this duplicate exam will be assigned to ONLY the student/s that use those accommodations.

Click on Quizzes in your Canvas navigation menu.
From there, locate the test that you would need to duplicate. Hover your mouse over the exam and click the more options button (three vertical dots) and select Copy to
Start typing or select the name of the course, then click copy, select what module it needs to go in, and what place you would like it to be (At the top, before.., after.., or at the bottom). A copy will be created (this may take a few seconds to generate), and it will have the same name as the original quiz.
Once the copy is generated, click the more options button (three vertical dots) and select Edit.
Rename the new copied test to include the word “Accommodations” so it is easily identifiable.
Open the new accommodations quiz to edit and change the “assign to” from everyone to just the name of the specific student/s that need to take the quiz without Honorlock.

To restrict this exam to only the students that need it, assign only to the students who need it.

Set Student Accommodations Using Honorlock (if applicable)

Step 5: Communicate with Students

Inform students that you will be using HonorLock for your exams. We recommend for students to prepare with the following prior to their exam:

HonorLock can ONLY be used with Google Chrome. Make sure it is downloaded and up-to-date.
Download the HonorLock Chrome Extension. This is required to access and complete the exam.
Disconnect any secondary monitors as they are not allowed for use in HonorLock. Students will not be able to take the exam if a second monitor is present.
Make sure you have a government issued ID (Aggie Student ID, driver’s license, passport, etc.)
Students will need a working webcam, microphone, and laptop or desktop computer. The webcam and microphone can be integrated or external USB devices.

Run a system check to see if there are any issues you need to resolve prior to the exam.

Step 6: Review Results

After you have delivered your exam, you will be able to review the results.

Locate the content area with the HonorLock LTI and click it to access it
To view the results from Honorlock proctoring for an exam, click the Results button
In the Exam Results window, you can view the User, Student ID, Exam Start date and time, Exam End date and time, Incident Level, and Session Details for each test-taker. If you would like to view the proctoring session for a particular student, click the View Session button.
You will then be able to view video from the proctoring session that includes both a screen capture and a recording of the student while they are taking the exam. A timeline summary of various exam-related events is available in the bottom right of the View Session screen.
You can also click the View Report button to access a full summary of Honorlock’s Violation & Incident Analysis report

Best Practices for using HonorLock in Canvas

General Recommendations

Deliver a practice exam at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled exam date. To set a practice exam, click the three vertical dots located on the top right in the Honorlock integration, and then select “Add Practice Exam.” For additional resources, please review the steps for How to add a practice exam in Canvas
If you have a student with accommodations, we recommend contacting Disability Resources for guidance on exam solutions.
Select “Show one question at a Time” as recommended by HonorLock for increased exam security.
Put a time limit. When deciding on a time limit try to estimate the average time a student should need to answer each question - taking into account different types of quiz questions.

HonorLock Settings
After Honorlock is enabled, Honorlock creates a password in the exam that should never be edited. If that password is changed students will be prompted for a password to get into the exam even after they authenticate with Honorlock. Do not change the Honorlock assigned password.

Honorlock Standard Exam Guidelines

Testing Area

Lighting in the room must be bright enough to show the student’s face and the surrounding area in a clear and detailed manner.
Student should be seated at a desk or table. Laying down in bed or elsewhere when taking the exam is not allowed.
Be sure the desk or table is cleared of all other materials. This means the removal of all books, papers, notebooks, calculators, etc. unless specifically permitted in posted guidelines for that particular examination.
Students must show work area as well as the entire room during the room scan.
No visible writing permitted on desk or on walls.
All third-party programs and/or windows (websites, Excel, Word, etc.) on the testing computer must be closed prior to logging into the proctored test environment.
Loud music, television, or other distractions playing in the background are prohibited.
No other persons or parties aside from the exam taker should be permitted near the testing environment, and all communication between exam taker and third parties is prohibited.

Testing Behavior

You must not leave the room during the testing period at any time. You must not take the computer into another room to finish testing (exam must be completed in the same room the “Exam Environment View” is completed in).
No breaks will be permitted.
Use of hats, hoodies, headsets, and/or earplugs is not permitted.
Do not use a phone for any reason. The only exception is to contact support, which you should do within your exam window itself.
The student’s face must always remain within view of the camera.

No additional time will be added for proctoring questions or technical issues encountered during the exam.

Providing Accommodations in Honorlock

You can easily facilitate testing accommodations such as additional time within your Canvas exam settings using the “Moderate this Quiz” feature. Specific instructions should be included in the directions you provide to the proctor:

The use of scratch paper
Breaks, particularly bathroom (10 minutes is usually sufficient)
Use of a calculator (the calculator button is not available to students if the question is long)
Give all students an additional 15 minutes to accommodate set up and connection time.
If you do not enter these accommodations in the proctor guidelines box, a proctor may interrupt the student if they are engaging in any of these activities, which may disrupt the testing process.

To restrict this exam to only the students that need it, assign only to the students who need it.

Best Practices for Using Honorlock in Canvas

Deliver a Practice Exam. Deliver a practice exam at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled exam date. To set a practice exam, click the three vertical dots located on the top right in the Honorlock integration, and then select “Add Practice Exam.” For additional resources, please review the steps for How to add a practice exam in Canvas
Consider accommodations early. If you have a student with accommodations, we recommend contacting Disability Resources for guidance on exam solutions.
Show one question at a time. Select “Show one question at a Time” as recommended by HonorLock for increased exam security.
Include a time limit. When deciding on a time limit, try to estimate the average time a student should need to answer each question - taking into account different types of quiz questions.
Do not modify Access Codes. It is important you do NOT edit the Access Code that’s set when you enable an assessment with Honorlock. Editing or removing the Access Code could prevent students from entering the assessment or it could allow them to enter the assessment without proctoring. For additional information about access codes, please refer to this article.
Inform students about support options available. Honorlock support is available 24/7/365 for you and your students. Students are encouraged to reach out to Honorlock Support via LiveChat by clicking on the chat bubble at the bottom right of any Honorlock enabled assessment.
Review Images/Diagrams permissions. If you’re going to include any images or diagrams within your assessment, please ensure that you have granted your students permission to those files in advance.
Disable Browser Guard if students need any application outside of the LMS. If students are required to access an application outside of their exam, such as Microsoft Word or Excel, Browser Guard will need to be disabled for your assessment.
Include Whitelist URLs if students need any reference material outside of the LMS. If you would like to allow your students to reference a website during the exam, you can whitelist specific URLs. Examples of URLs you may whitelist include library resources, e-textbooks, or links to areas within the LMS. (Note: the more granular the website URL, the better control over what content is able to be accessed by your students.)

Online Exam Proctoring with Aggie Proctoring Center

The Aggie Proctoring Center (APC) provides a pool of Aggie Proctors assigned to proctor exams via Zoom. The APC attempts to replicate the in-classroom experience for the students and the faculty member. The faculty member conducts the proctored exam session in the same manner that faculty member conducts non-exam class session using Zoom.

maroon bar with aggie proctoring center text with a woman in the background engaging in conversation

The Aggie Proctoring Center hires current TAMU graduate students as Aggie Proctors. The Aggie Proctors receive training on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), on diversity and inclusion measures to avoid potential biases, and about behaviors to observe during exams. Faculty can schedule proctoring from the APC by submitting a proctoring center request using the APC Scheduling System.

The APC can support up to 290 students in a single proctored exam session. After a faculty member submits a request to use the Aggie Proctoring Center, the Aggie Proctoring Center assigns proctors for an exam using a 1 to 40 proctor to student ratio. For example, if an instructor has 210 students in a class, the faculty member can request up to 6 Aggie Proctors (210 ÷ 40 rounded to next higher integer) to assist in proctoring the exam.

During a proctored exam session, the Aggie Proctors observe the students and their exam environment. The Aggie Proctors inform the faculty member if a student’s conduct or exam environment suggests the student may not be following the Aggie Honor Code. Based on this information, the faculty member can address the behavior and intervene during the exam as needed (e.g., unmute to speak with the student or use Zoom chat to initiate a conversation with the student).

After the exam, the faculty member receives notes from the Aggie Proctors regarding the student conduct. Each annotation made by an Aggie Proctor includes the student’s name, a timestamp, and a comment regarding the student’s actions. The faculty member can review the recorded exam session combined with the Aggie Proctor notes to determine if the student conduct constitutes a violation of the Aggie Honor Code and whether to submit an Aggie Honor Code violation report.

How the Aggie Proctoring Center Works

	Faculty	Aggie Proctoring Center	Aggie Proctors
Before the Exam	- Review APC policies and procedures to see if APC meets need for proctoring - Request exam proctoring session with APC Scheduling System - Notify students about the exam proctoring protocol and the exam environment - Post Zoom link and meeting information to the LMS	- Schedule Zoom meeting - Assign Aggie Proctors to proctoring session - Notify faculty member of the Zoom meeting details and the assigned Aggie Proctors - Register enrolled students in the Zoom meeting 2 days before exam date (this allows for add/drop during the semester)	- Publish dates/times available to proctor exams - Sign up to proctor exams for scheduled proctoring sessions - Attend pre-exam meeting with faculty to answer questions and confirm procedures for exam day
Exam Day	- Launch Zoom meeting at least 15 minutes before exam begins - Follow Exam Day Checklist	Available to respond to issues if they arise	- Login to Zoom meeting at least 15 minutes before exam begins - Document student conduct
After the Exam	- Review notes from the Aggie Proctors and the recorded proctoring session videos as needed - File Aggie Honor Code Violation Report as necessary	- Provide the proctor notes and recordings from the proctoring session to the faculty member - Available to address faculty feedback	Available to respond to faculty member questions about notes from the proctoring session

Aggie Proctoring Center Policies and Procedures

To use the Aggie Proctoring Center services, faculty members must agree to the following.

Instructor Responsibilities

colorful stacked books with a computer pointer

Before the Proctored Exam Session

Make the exam available to students in the learning management system. While most faculty use the Canvas Quizzes feature for their exams, faculty may choose to provide access to an external tool such as Gradescope, WebAssign, etc.
Notify students and aggie proctors about the exam environment and other exam protocols.

During the Proctored Exam Session

After the Proctored Exam Session

The faculty member conducts the proctored exam session as if the faculty were conducting a face-to-face proctored exam. The faculty member may choose to send a designated representative to conduct and officiate in the class session. However, the faculty member may not delegate this responsibility to an Aggie Proctor.

The Aggie Proctors attend the proctoring session as consultants “on loan” to the faculty member to assist the faculty in proctoring the exam. The faculty member retains all rights and responsibilities to administer the exam proctoring session.

Proctoring Center Features

Hours of Operation

Proctored Exam Sessions

Class Size - We can proctor exams for up to 290 students in a single proctoring session.
Zoom - We use Zoom as the medium for proctoring exams. After a faculty member requests a
proctored exam session, we create a Zoom meeting with the faculty member as host for the session.
Proctor-to-Student Ratio - We assign Aggie Proctors using a 1:40 proctor-to-student ratio.
Use Teaching Assistants as Proctors - A faculty member may choose to use one or more teaching assistants assigned to their course as proctors during an APC proctored exam. For example, if a faculty has 180 students and employs 2 teaching assistants (TA), the faculty could request up to 5 Aggie Proctors for their exam. When scheduling an exam, the faculty member could choose to have their 2 TA as proctors. Then they could request up to 3 Aggie Proctors (5 – 2 = 3).
Additional Administrative Support - Rather than include teaching assistants as proctors during the exam, faculty members may include their teaching assistants as additional administrative support for the proctored exam session by electing to have their TAs join the proctored exam session as a participant instead of as a proctor.
Security - For security purposes, only individuals who have registered may join the Zoom meeting during a proctoring session. We register all students enrolled in the class (from Compass/Howdy) for the Zoom meeting. While Zoom will send an email message to the students with the meeting details, faculty should still provide the Meeting ID and Join Meeting URL to the student.
One Device Proctoring - The students will connect to the Zoom proctoring session from their laptop or desktop computer combined with a web cam.
Two Device Proctoring - The students will connect to the Zoom proctoring session as instructed by the faculty member. The faculty member must provide instructions to the students for how to position the second device.

Special Features

Additional Notes

Multiple Proctoring Services - We discourage use of Respondus Lockdown Browser, Respondus Monitor, HonorLock, or other similar proctoring services in combination with the proctoring service offered by the proctoring center. TAMU faculty should not combine other proctoring services with their use of the APC services.
Interventions during Exam - During the exam proctoring session, the Aggie Proctors will not intervene by using the Zoom Audio, Chat, or Breakout Rooms features. The Aggie Proctors will notify the faculty member via private chat about suspicious student conduct. The faculty member can then use the private chat information to intervene during the exam as needed (e.g., use the Zoom audio or chat features to intervene).

Aggie Proctoring Center Scheduling System

Faculty use the scheduling system to add, review, modify, and delete requests for remote exam proctoring services. After the proctored exam session, faculty use the scheduling system to access the notes recorded by the Aggie Proctors.

Step 1: Access APC Scheduling System

Go to Aggie Proctoring Center System (proctor.tamu.edu)
Enter NetID/Password credentials as prompted
On the Instructor Dashboard, you will see two links.
1. Courses – (Default) Click the "Courses" link to enable the Courses View. You will see a list of the courses (from Compass/Howdy) you are assigned as the instructor of record for the current sesmter.
2. Exams - Click the "Exams" link to enable the Exams View. You will use the Exams View to schedule an exam proctoring session and to see a list of exams you have already scheduled. Click “Add New Exam” to add an exam. Click the “view” link on the row of a previously scheduled exam to edit or delete that exam request. Click the “report” link on the row of a previously proctored exam to review notes from the Aggie Proctors about the exam session.

Step 2: Add a New Exam

From the Instructor Dashboard, click the “Exams” link from the menu
On the Exams screen, click the “Add New Exam” link to expand the "Exam Information" form below the list of exams. (NOTE: If you have previously scheduled exams, you may need to scroll down to see the Exam Information Form.)
Complete the "Exam Information" form (see below for a description of the fields on the Exam Information Form and how to complete the steps).
Click the "Save" button.
- If you receive a message that “No proctors are available for your selected exam time,” please contact the Aggie Proctoring Center, proctor@tamu.edu.)
After your exam is successfully saved, you will receive an email confirmation with the Zoom Meeting ID, Zoom Host URL, course number, and exam date/time.
If you need to review, edit, or delete your scheduled proctoring session, see “Exams” under Step 1 above.

Fields on Exam Information Form

Exam ID

This is the identification number for your exam.
This field is display only. You cannot change the Exam ID.
The Exam ID is generated by the system and used internally by the Aggie Proctoring Center.

Contact Phone

Enter the phone number that the Aggie Proctoring Center and Aggie Proctors can use to contact you during the exam if technical issues arise.

Exam Type

Choose “Regular” to schedule a midterm exam.
Choose “Final” to schedule a final exam.

Courses

This field is only available after you choose an “Exam Type.”
Choose the course for which you would like to schedule an exam.
If you teach multiple sections of the same course that have a common, synchronous meeting time, you can select multiple sections to “merge” those sections into a single proctored exam session.
If you teach a cross-listed or stacked course, you can select multiple sections to “merge” those sections into a single proctored exam session.

Exam Day and Time

This field is only available after you select an “Exam Type” and one or more “Courses.” The options available depend on whether you are trying to merge sections or not.
Regular Exam - Choose the day of the week and time for which you would like to schedule the exam.
Final Exam - Choose the date/time for your final exam. (NOTE: Be sure to review the TAMU Final Exam Schedule to identify the correct date/time for your course).

Exam Date

This field is only available after you choose a value for the “Exam Type,” “Courses,” and “Exam Day and Time” fields above.
Regular Exam (e.g., midterm exam) - Choose the date you would like for your exam.
Final Exam - The date you selected for the “Exam Day and Time” field will be highlighted.

Students Enrolled in selected course(s)

This field displays the number of students from Compass enrolled in your selected course(s).

TAs to Proctor

If you have a teaching assistant assigned to your course in Compass, their name(s) are displayed in this field.
Indicate if you would like any assigned TAs for your course (from Compass/Howdy) to assist in proctoring your exam, join the meeting to assist in administering the exam, or neither.
If you select Proctor for a TA, the number of proctors needed for your exam will decrease by one. In addition, this TA will be registered for the Zoom meeting.
If you select Join for a TA, the TA will be registered for the Zoom meeting.

Proctors Needed

This field is display only and shows the number of Aggie Proctors who will be assigned to your exam proctoring session.
This number of Aggie Proctors is determined by dividing the number of students registered in your course (from Compass/Howdy) by 40. (NOTE: The proctors needed field will decrease by one for each TA you select to proctor your exam under TAs to Proctor).

Proctors Available

This field is display only and shows the number of Aggie Proctors available for the date/time you selected from the other fields.
If this field displays zero (0) Aggie Proctors are available, please contact the Aggie Proctoring Center, proctor@tamu.edu, to inform them of your desire to use the center services. The APC will document your request to assist them in monitoring demand for APC services. The APC may be able to schedule additional Aggie Proctors for your exam and will contact you to let you know if that is possible.

Proctors Assigned

This field is blank when you create your exam request.
After proctors are assigned for your exam by the APC, you will see their names and email addresses.

Zoom Meeting ID

This field is blank when you create your exam request.
After your exam is scheduled, the APC will generate a Zoom meeting for your exam.
You (the faculty member) will be the host of the meeting.
The APC will send an email confirmation message for the schedule exam with the Zoom meeting ID and join URL.
The meeting will show up in your TAMU Zoom account. The meeting name follows this pattern – "Aggie Proctoring Center - Proctored [Final] Exam: Course Number & Section." For example, "Aggie Proctoring Center - Proctored Exam; ISTM 210 501"

Zoom Join Settings

Choose the Zoom settings you prefer for your class.

LMS

Choose the LMS you use for your class

Student Instructions

Choose the support materials (if any) your students may use during the exam.

Step 3: Prepare Exam Access in LMS

Create links in the learning management system to provide access to the exam for your students (e.g., Canvas Quizzes Tool, or link to third party tool such as Gradescope, WebAssign, etc.). For additional guidance on creating exams in the LMS, use the resources on Keep Teaching.
Creating an Exam in Canvas Using the Quizzes Tool

Step 4: Notify Students

Using your normal communication channels, notify students that you plan to use the Aggie Proctoring Center to proctor your exam.
The APC will register all students enrolled in your course (from Compass/Howdy) for the Zoom meeting two (2) days before your scheduled exam. As a result, each student will receive an email message from Zoom informing them they are registered for the Zoom meeting. This message will include the Zoom meeting ID and Join URL.

Exam Day Checklist

The Exam Day Checklist provides faculty an overview of what to do on exam day to ensure the proctored exam session runs smoothly. Be sure to print the checklist and keep it nearby on exam day.

Review Zoom Security Settings

Review Zoom In-Meeting Chat Settings

Set Custom Gallery View Organization in Zoom

Custom Gallery View Organization in Zoom
After other participants join the meeting, use drag and drop to rearrange at least one person on the gallery view screen
As the host, click "View," then "Follow Host’s Video Order," to deploy your view to all participants (this sets the screens so that each proctor sees the same screen and participant order as the faculty member)

Welcome Students and Begin Exam

Remind students the Zoom meeting will be recorded with the following statement:
“This proctored exam session will be recorded. After the exam, I will review the recording for any violations of the Aggie Honor Code. Only the Aggie Proctoring Center, my teaching assistants, and I will have access to the recording. The recording will be stored in a password-protected location.”
Inform students regarding what to do when they finish the exam (e.g., leave the Zoom meeting)
[OPTIONAL] If desired, ask students to show their TAMU ID to their webcam

Proctor the Exam

End Zoom Meeting

As students complete the exam and exit the Zoom meeting, the number of Zoom gallery view screens will change. As a result, you will eventually have multiple Aggie Proctors observing the same gallery view screens.
Use Zoom Chat to thank Aggie Proctors and to inform them when they can leave the Zoom meeting

Please review the following section for additional details about the Aggie Proctoring Center.

Yellow Q and Maroon A boxes to the right of two gray boxes

What behaviors do Aggie Proctors document during the exam session?

Engages in academic misconduct as defined in the Aggie Honor Code (Student Rule 20)
Behaves contrary to the Student Conduct Code (Student Rule 24)
Continually looks away from the main computer screen
Appears to be talking to someone else in the room
Turns off camera
Covers the camera with hand or another object
Appears to be using a cell phone
Leaves the camera view
Appears to take pictures of the exam screen with another device
Changes the web camera position so it no longer complies with the exam protocol specified by the faculty member

How do Faculty Accommodate Students with Disabilities

Faculty members retain the responsibilities associated with accommodating students with disabilities. The TAMU Disability Resources supports faculty in understanding the roles, rights, and responsibilities for the faculty and the student. Faculty should contact Disability Resources (979-845-1637 or disability@tamu.edu) if they need assistance in understanding the accommodation process.

The Disability Resoucres Testing Center (DRTC) offers faculty an additional resource for ensuring their students’ accommodations are met in an equitable manner. If a faculty member is unable to provide accommodations to their student(s), the DRTC can help by performing remote proctoring through Zoom.

Please visit the DRTC website for more information about how students should schedule their exams with the DRTC and how faculty approve the schedule. NOTE: Students should schedule their exams at least one week in advance during the semester and two weeks in advance during finals. The DRTC is happy to assist faculty with any questions and can be reached at TestAdmin@disability.tamu.edu.

When choosing to utilize the Aggie Proctoring Center, faculty should discuss with students who have extended testing time accommodations their availability to test with the class at the regular exam time. If agreed upon by the faculty member and the student requesting accommodations, the faculty member can provide extended time for the student after the scheduled proctoring session by remaining in the Zoom meeting with the student. In this case, the faculty member would dismiss the Aggie Proctors at the end of the regular scheduled exam time and the faculty member would observe the student for the extended time. If this option does not work , faculty should have the student contact the Disability Resources Testing Center as soon as possible.

For example, a faculty member schedules a final exam for 11:00 a.m. and allows 75 minutes for all students in the class to complete the exam. A student with accommodations for double exam time (as approved by the Disability Resources office) could agree with the faculty member to take the exam at the same time as the rest of the class beginning at 11:00 a.m. with a double time accommodation (i.e., 150 minutes). At the end of the 75-minute examination period, the faculty member dismisses the Aggie Proctors from the proctored Zoom meeting but does not end the Zoom meeting. Instead the faculty member continues the Zoom meeting with the student who needs accommodations until the student completes the exam.

What Happens When Students arrive Late to the Proctored Exam?

Where is the Aggie Proctoring Center Located?

Can Faculty on the Galveston Campus Use the Aggie Proctoring Center?

What if a Student Registered in One of My Class Sections Needs to Take the Exam with a Different Class Section?

The faculty member can provide the Zoom meeting registration link for the other section to the student. After registering for the meeting using the registration link, the student will be able to attend the Zoom meeting for the proctored exam session even though they are not enrolled in that section.

Faculty members can obtain the registration link by accessing to their TAMU Zoom account and reviewing the Zoom meeting settings for their proctored exam session. NOTE: The faculty member must login to their TAMU Zoom account from their web browser. The registration link is not available from the Zoom desktop app.

Does the Aggie Proctoring Center Support Two-Device Proctoring?

The proctoring center supports both one-device and two-device proctoring.

One Device Proctoring - The students will connect to the Zoom proctoring session from their laptop or desktop computer combined with a web camera.
Two Device Proctoring – The students will connect to the Zoom proctoring session as instructed by the faculty member. The faculty member must provide instructions to the students for how to position the second device.

What Happens if Students Turn of Their Camera and Ignore Faculty Intervention Requests (e.g., chat or unmute) to Enable Their Camera?

We recommend that faculty consider this possibility in advance and develop a robust exam protocol to address the concern. Faculty should provide the exam protocol to the students well in advance of the exam. This could be done in the syllabus or as a separate handout for students before the exam. In the exam protocol, faculty should define expected behavior for students and associated consequences for not following the protocol.

Consider the following example protocol that specifically addresses students who turn off their camera during the proctored exam. If you provide this information to all students before the exam or as part of your syllabus, the students will understand the expectations and associated consequences of not adhering to the exam protocol.

Example Partial Exam Protocol

During the exam, students must do the following:

Connect to the Zoom meeting using {insert instructions for connecting to the Zoom meeting}
Ensure their web camera is always on during the Zoom meeting {and insert instructions for how to direct the web camera during the Zoom meeting}
Ensure their speakers are always on during the Zoom meeting with an appropriate sound level
Monitor the Zoom audio for messages from the instructor and/or the teaching assistant(s)
Monitor the Zoom chat for messages from the instructor and/or the teaching assistant(s)

If a student turns off their camera during the exam, I will intervene during the exam as follows:

{insert enumerated list of planned interventions, suggestions include}
Unmute and speak directly to student by name
Send {insert a number} Zoom chat messages spaced 1 minute apart {edit to appropriate time}
Etc.

If the student does not respond to the interventions outlined above after 5 minutes {edit to appropriate time}, I will:

{insert enumerated list of planned consequences, suggestions include}
Assign a zero for the exam
Send email message to @tamu.edu email address detailing how student actions did not comply with the exam protocol and associated consequences
Submit an Aggie Honor Code violation report that the student committed academic misconduct as a “violation of college, program, department, or course rules.”

Can Faculty Use the Aggie Proctoring Center for a Common Exam?

Yes. If your course has a common exam date/time assigned in Compass as part of the course, you can use the APC for your common exam with the following limitations:

The APC can have a maximum of 290 students in a single Zoom session. Thus, you would need to schedule an exam proctoring session based on sections with fewer than 290 students enrolled.
The APC has a maximum capacity of 25 proctors working at any given time. These proctors can proctor exams for 1,000 students (i.e., 25 * 40).

If you would like to use the Aggie Proctoring Center for a common exam, please contact us in advance (proctor@tamu.edu).

Online Exam Proctoring with Zoom

Zoom is a tool that can assist in live proctoring exams. Below is a step-by-step guide that includes best practices and recommended settings for using Zoom to live proctor an exam. Please take note that best practices are based on One-Device and Two-Device options. (See also PDF download of Proctoring with Zoom)

Settings

Request each proctor (if not the instructor) to schedule a Zoom session that begins at least 30 minutes before the exam and ends at least 30 minutes after the exam is complete to fix any technical difficulties that may arise with the following settings:

Registration

Required (select no if opting for only authenticated users can join)

Meeting Password

Assign a password or allow Zoom to automatically generate one

Video

Host: ON
Participant: ON

Meeting Options

DISABLE enable join before host
ENABLE Mute Participants upon Entry
ENABLE Waiting Room
ENABLE Only authenticated users can join - select TAMU NetID from the drop-down
ENABLE Record the meeting – Either locally on your computer or on the Cloud (Cloud recording may not be available immediately)
Alternative hosts (if necessary): enter the email of anyone that would need access to the proctoring session as a proctor (additional TA, faculty, support staff, etc).

2. Identify and assign proctors to groups of 48 students. Depending on the proctors’ computer specifications, groups may be less than 48. Instructors will need to verify with all proctors prior to the examination. For more information on computer specifications, view Displaying participants in gallery view

Prior to the Exam

Zoom Proctoring - One Device Option

Students will use the laptop/desktop webcam enabled video to connect with Zoom. If students do not have a laptop/desktop with a built-in webcam, they may access Zoom via a smartphone device.
Students should understand that they will be monitored and recorded and their face should be visible at all times, in addition to proctoring rules set by the instructor.

Zoom Proctoring - Two Device Option

Using two devices adds an extra layer of security during higher stakes testing. This option provides for a better viewing angle for the workspace (desk, computer, etc.) and prevents students from using the smartphone itself during the exam.

This solution would require:

A device such as a laptop or desktop computer for the exam.
A device such as a smartphone or tablet for the exam proctoring session via Zoom.

Starting the Zoom Proctoring Session

Proctors starts the meeting and will be responsible for:
- Chat: Change the chat settings to be Participants can chat with Host only.
- Record: Record the meeting (either locally or cloud)
- Manage Participants: Admit students one-by-one from the Waiting room to validate their identities. Mute their mics if necessary.
Proctors will then authenticate using either Texas A&M student ID and/or the class roster from Howdy.
Proctors state exam session expectations to students including process for asking questions, finishing the exam, and what is allowed or not allowed in the session.

Starting the Exam

Students login to Canvas, Google Classroom, or preferred method of assessment to access exam, after they have been authenticated and instructed by the Proctor to begin.
Proctors can click on the individual student’s video to expand their view, and switch from Gallery View to Speaker View as needed.
If a problem arises during the exam, Proctors can chat with the student and/or move them to a Breakout Room as to not disturb the other students

Ending the Exam

Recommendations When Recording Students for Live Online Proctoring Using Zoom

It is recommended that faculty add verbiage to exam guidelines that are distributed to students ahead of the exam to disclose that the faculty member/TA will be recording the proctored exams.
This information should be repeated at the start of the exam once the recording has been turned on.
Additionally, when students register for the exam via Zoom, faculty may add a disclaimer that the session will be recorded.
If the students are recorded and they can be identified, the portion that shows the student(s) are considered to be an educational record under FERPA.
Only the instructor and/or TAs should have access to the recording.
Recordings should be retained for one year from the date of the exam.

Any class recordings that include students are considered education records and thereby subject to FERPA. Recordings that show students may only be kept and used by the instructor of record for the current class and section in which the student participates. These recordings may not be used in subsequent semesters and, under record retention policy, should be retained for one year after the course completion.

Zoom Proctoring Advice from TAMU Faculty

General Zoom Proctoring Advice to Faculty

The considerations for using live proctoring via Zoom depends on what type exam is being given and the types of questions on the exam, such as multiple choice or short answer.
Faculty and students will have to adapt to the live proctoring via Zoom exam format.
Collect information from other faculty who have attempted live proctoring via Zoom and then modify course-specific processes.
It is recommended for those interested in using live proctoring via Zoom to join a colleague’s proctored session to see how it works in real-time.
Complete a practice proctoring session via Zoom with students to ensure the process works well.

Logistical and Technical Considerations

Teaching Assistants (TAs) are essential to the process for proctoring and grading.
- Suggestion: Ask TAs to complete the exam at least 24 hours ahead of the actual exam in a simulated environment to reveal any outstanding issues.
Check-in process needs to be efficient.
- Suggestion: Require students to enter the Zoom session at least 30 minutes ahead of the exam start window.
- Use student roster from Howdy and maximize thumbnail size on the screen to ensure students identity.
Create a process for checking student scratch paper (if allowed during the exam).
- Suggestion: Allow two pieces of blank scratch paper; have students hold paper in each hand and flip around; review in groups of 10.
- Suggestion: Require students to submit photos of their scratch paper once the exam is complete as a submission to an Assignment in Canvas.
Handle student questions via chat and/or the Breakout Room feature in Zoom (but disable to one-to-one chat so students cannot communicate with each other).
To avoid Zoombombing during the live proctoring via Zoom, use the Registration feature and Only Authenticated Users Can Join feature in Zoom when setting up Zoom meeting link.

Academic Integrity and Maintaining Course Learning Objectives

Well-defined and articulated learning objectives are important because they: provide students with a clear purpose to focus their learning efforts and direct and guide faculty assessment strategies. It is critical to ensure that students receiving credit for achieving learning outcomes is earned by the student – which can be achieved through live proctoring.
Live proctored exams are one way students can ensure they receive credit for their exams and coursework.
Live proctoring via Zoom can be implemented as a deterrent to cheating.
Utilize the Canvas Quiz Information feature within an attempt during a specific time window to verify test submission.

Anticipated Student Technology Issues

A work-around for poor internet connectivity is to have the student film him/herself using a smartphone using their Camera app while taking the exam and submit the video as evidence.
Schedule the exam proctoring Zoom session at least 30 minutes before the exam and ends at least 30 minutes after the exam is complete to address any technical difficulties that may arise.
Evaluate each technology chosen to be implemented into the exam proctoring process to mirror a student’s experience and overcome any technical issues before they arise.

For another comprehensive look at best practices used at Texas A&M, watch How to Proctor Exams in Zoom - A Texas A&M Faculty Panel Discussion on Best Practices

Keep Teaching

Welcome Online, Faculty!

DESIGNan online course FACILITATEan online course COMMUNICATEa cohesive plan Plug-Into learning technologies

DESIGN

FACILITATE

COMMUNICATE

Plug-In

Modalities Currently Supported at Texas A&M

Course Type

Howdy Description

Attendance

Course Type

Howdy Description

Attendance

Course Type

Howdy Description

Attendance

Course Type

Howdy Description

Attendance

Classroom Technologies

Synchronous Classes

Step 1: Pre-Schedule Synchronous Classes in Zoom (before class)

Step 2: Know Your Classroom Space (before class)

Step 3 (in class)

Step 4 (in class)

Sharing Class Recordings with Students

Best Practices in Instructional Design

Below are best practices for online teaching and learning. You will find these best practices integrated into the tools we provide throughout Keep Teaching. We encourage you to take these into consideration to optimize the online learning environment for you and your students.

Canvas Connection

Organizing Content into Modules

Five Step Guide to Crating an Online Module

Course Mapping

Course Design Checklist

Transform your Learning Activities into Opportunities for Online Engagement

Plan your Time Commitments as you Facilitate your Online Course

Preparing your Students for Online Learning

Communication Tools

Sample Email Templates

Communicating about Zoom and Zoom as a Communication Tool

Recommendations

Considerations for Faculty to Encourage Learner Engagement Online

Effective Online Course Element

Discussion Forums

Frequent Quizzes

Chat Platforms

Digital Portfolios

Online Courses for International Students

Accommodate students unable to attend synchronous sessions

Establish clear course expectations

Set clear course plans and deliver content in multiple modalities

Use practices that engage international students

Re-evaluate feedback and assessment practices

Build community

Promote respect for international students' cultural strengths

Develop opportunities for private meetings with students

Share institutional resources and provide support

Be flexible and accommodating

Technological Considerations

Course Design and Delivery

For more information please refer to this Hanover report

Learning Technologies

Additional Learning Technologies Supported at Texas A&M

ally

honorlock

LinkedIn Learning

peerceptiv

Respondus Lockdown Browser

TurnItIn

Guide to Teaching with Zoom

Five Zoom Features to Enhance Teaching & Learning at Texas A&M

DESIGN
an online course

FACILITATE
an online course

COMMUNICATE
a cohesive plan

Plug-In
to learning technologies