Teaching Remotely

• Polls in Zoom
• Breakout Rooms in Zoom
• Discussion Forums in Moodle
• Office Hours Using Google’s Appointment Slots Feature
• Some best practices for Online Course Design

For support with course design and engagement, please fill out this very short form: 

The individuals who will most likely respond to you include:

• Jenna Corraro

You may need to use video calls with your classes, for office hours, or for departmental meetings. Drew recommends using Zoom.

• drew.zoom.us
• Zoom License Request Form
• Zoom information for Drewids
• Zoom FAQ
• How to delete and/or download your Zoom recordings (Google Doc)
• Uploading a Video File to Moodle (video)

Wondering if there is a problem others are seeing with Zoom that might explain something you see? Check the Zoom status page for information from their team, and feel free to create a ticket by emailing [email protected].

Zoom is not the only solution for video calls, but it is the one that Drew supports. Other options include:

• Google Meet

For Zoom support, please fill out this very short form:

The individuals who will most likely respond to you include:

• Shawn Spaventa

There are numerous ways to share a lecture with your students. If you plan to use video, we highly recommend checking the Video Recording, Storing, and Editing section of the Remote Instruction Resources course in Moodle. We also link to some guides here.

• Zoom Lecture Capture Workflow
• Workflow for Recording a Lecture in Zoom
• Screencastify – this is a Chrome extension that lets you record your screen, with drawings and highlighting clicks, and an option to have yourself in the recording
• Getting Started with Screencastify – a video tutorial
• Exporting/Downloading Screencastify – a video tutorial
• Uploading a Video File to Moodle – a video tutorial
• Recording a slide show in PowerPoint – if you have a PowerPoint slideshow, you can record a video with your voice over the slideshow following the instructions for your operating system (macOS or “Older Windows versions”)

If you have videos that require some basic editing (like trimming the beginning and end), take a look at these services:

• Shotcut
• Shotcut demo video
• iMovie (if you have a Mac, but note that the version of iMovie available to you depends on the Mac OS you are running)
• iMovie demo video
• See step by step instructions in the Workflow for Recording a Lecture in Zoom doc

For video editing support, please fill out this very short form:

The individuals who will most likely respond to you include:

• Shawn Spaventa

Drew has a site license for a Chrome extension called Screencastify, which allows you to record and edit videos.

• Screencastify Instructions
• Getting Started with Screencastify – a video tutorial
• Exporting/Downloading Screencastify – a video tutorial
• Uploading a Video File to Moodle

You will certainly be working with text documents, and potentially spreadsheets or slide presentations during the course of your work. Drew recommends the use of either the Office suite of products or the Google suite.

• Microsoft Office at Drew
• Google Drive, Drew page
• Working With Network Drive Files in CloudPC

For both real-time and asynchronous collaborative editing, Google Drive is the easiest solution.

• Sharing a file in Google Drive

For Office or G Suite support, please fill out this very short form:

The individuals who will most likely respond to you include:

• Danielle Reay
• Shawn Spaventa
• Verna Holcomb

There are times when you will want to share a file with your students that is currently in book or paper form. Keeping copyright restrictions in mind, and knowing that physical copies cannot be shared right now, here are a few options.

• For a few pages of something you have on hand, or for quick turnaround, use your cell phone and an app like Adobe Scan (Android/iPhone) or Notes (iPhone) to turn the pages into a JPEG or a PDF to share via Moodle
• Check the Library listing of resources for information about requesting material scans of print materials in the Library, electronic resources, and Interlibrary Loan options. Please note that the Library building remains closed except to Library staff.
• If your department has an administrative assistant, you may be able to coordinate the scanning of materials in your office on campus with that individual. The availability of this option is dependent on many factors (which is why we mention it last!).

Although it is possible to connect to most Drew services from a personal computer, some employees have asked permission to bring their Drew-issued laptops and desktops home. Here are some things to consider:

• If you intend to bring home any technology equipment, you must email [email protected] and identify the equipment.
• Drew workstations are to be used exclusively by the employee, not anyone else.
• Please take pictures of the cables and plugs in your computer before moving anything, and refer back to these pictures when setting up your workstation at home.
• Windows computers – laptops and desktops – have to check in to the Drew server routinely to verify the license for Windows and the Office suite. Before taking any Windows machine off campus, please turn it on, log in to the Drew network, and open at least one of the Office products you intend to use (e.g. Word, Excel).
• Desktop computers – primarily those running Windows – will either need to be plugged directly in to your home wireless router with an ethernet cable (ensure your router supports this) or you will need to purchase a USB WiFi adapter.
  • Search for “usb wifi adapter”
  • Check for 802.11 ac in the description
  • Look for something with a lot of positive reviews
  • Reach out to your supervisor (prior to purchase) if you intend to request reimbursement
• Remember that you need to plug laptops and desktops in to surge protectors – a wall outlet is not sufficient protection.

You may have noticed slower or choppier internet connections over recent months. With more people staying home but trying to connect to the outside world for school, work, socializing and entertainment, demand has increased. We are collecting suggestions at this page:

• Connectivity Challenges

One thing we would like to pull out is that you should communicate your back-up plan to your classes ahead of time. If your internet connection cuts out in the middle of class, let your students know how long you would like them to wait for you to reconnect, or how you will let them know to shift gears. Also, feel free to share that link with your students, and to let them know when and how they should reach out to you if they have their own connection problems.

For connectivity support, please email [email protected] or fill out a support request at help.drew.edu. The individuals who will most likely respond to you include the entire User Support Services team.

Drew University’s Domain of One’s Own project offers our students, faculty and staff the opportunity to create and host a professional website of their very own, free of charge while at Drew.

• domains.drew.edu
• Using Drew Domains
• Digital Humanities @ Drew

For Domains support, please fill out this very short form: 

The individuals who will most likely respond to you include:

• Danielle Reay

Digication is an ePortfolio tool for students to share their work online.

For Digication support, please fill out this very short form: 

Drew University’s Digital Humanities project has been offering workshops over the semester and throughout the summer on what tools faculty have been using with their students in class.

• Digital Humanities @ Drew

For Digital Humanities questions and support, please fill out this very short form:

The individuals who will most likely respond to you include:

• Danielle Reay

The Library has long offered remote resources, but now is a great time to learn more about these tools and materials.

• Library Main Page
• Library Services Page