Distance Education

Potential Barriers:

• Navigating controls in the Zoom or Teams interface (i.e. raising a hand, responding to a poll, muting/unmuting the microphone, reading and responding to chat messages)
• Following information presented during the class session via screen share

Potential Solutions:

• Provide extra time to respond to polls
• Verbally recap/summarize activity from the chat
• Provide a way to connect to the class session via telephone
• Provide shared documents and class materials (presentations, worksheets, PDFs, web links, etc.) in an accessible format before the class session

Potential Barriers:

• Inability to hear lecture or video content
• Unable to respond verbally to questions

Potential Solutions:

• Work with the Disability Support Services office to provide live captioning and/or interpreting services
• If the class is recorded, ensure the video is accurately captioned before sending it to students or posting it in your course
• Develop a plan for discussions/breakout rooms to include visual attention-getting strategies, such as raising a hand and using the chat box

Potential Barriers:

• Difficulty processing information and responding to questions and polls

Potential Solutions:

• Chunk direct instruction/lecture into manageable segments
• Provide additional time for students to respond to questions and live polls
• Provide the class with a list of questions before the synchronous class session

Potential Barriers:

• Difficulty using the standard keyboard/mouse which may present challenges in accessing the conferencing controls and in responding to live polls and questions in the chat

Potential Solutions:

• Provide additional time for students to respond to information and complete tasks.
• Allow multiple ways to respond (verbally or through the chat)