Online & Hybrid Language Instruction
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Introduction
The Language Resource Center is assembling resources to assist the language teaching community at Cornell as we consider best practices in online and hybrid language teaching and learning. We can provide assistance with basic instructional technology and any issues specifically related to language pedagogy. The Center for Teaching Innovation also has multiple resources available, listed in more detail below.
The resources we gathered for remote language instruction throughout spring semester 2020 are archived here: COVID-19 Preparedness. They include a webinar series, resources for remote instruction and remote language instruction, suggestions for students, podcast episodes, and FAQs.
Please send your questions, comments, or concerns related to language teaching and learning via email.
We will regularly update this page, so please keep checking back.
Live help sessions
Open drop-in sessions
Answers to all your questions about F2F/hybrid/online language teaching and learning.
Join us on Zoom during the following times (starting Monday, September 7):
- Monday-Friday, 9:00-10:00 am
- Monday-Friday, 2:00-3:00 pm
1:1 help sessions
Need more help? Contact us to schedule individual Zoom sessions with a team member to discuss your questions about online language teaching and learning.
LRC Happy Hour
Join us on Zoom this fall for LRC Happy Hour. We'd love to hear how it’s going! All of it.
- Bring your (language instruction) stories whether they be good, bad, amazing, or unusual. It takes all kinds of stories to make a Happy Hour great!
- Bring your own coffee, tea, or mystery beverage.
- While we can't serve lunch, the LRC will provide fun, jokes, and laughs free of charge.
Also, we just want to see your smiling faces, because we miss you.
Every third Tuesday of the month at noon on Zoom:
- September 15
- October 20
- November 17
Mock teaching sessions
If you would like to try out how the various Zoom and Canvas features work, the LRC team is ready to serve as your practice students. Please contact us to schedule a time.
Live class support
If you need help managing Zoom breakout rooms or other features in your online class, LRC team members can assist. Please contact us at least 2 business days prior to the date you need help with.
Workshop and webinar archive
The LRC spring 2020 webinar workshop series focused on considerations regarding moving language instruction online. The webinars consist of brief presentations/tutorials followed by Q&A.
The LRC summer 2020 hands-on workshop series covered a variety of tools related to teaching language online. Each workshop includes a demonstration of the tool, followed by Q&A.
Access presentation slides and live recordings on our webinar archive.
Online/hybrid instruction
Cornell's Center for Teaching Innovation (CTI) offers ongoing support to assist faculty in designing flexible, resilient courses. The goal is to help faculty develop engaging student learning experiences that can be effective in both in-person and online instructional settings. You can choose between guided and independent course support.
Interested in Teaching Online? (SUNY) - This course introduces the concepts, competencies, pedagogies, and practices that are required to plan, develop, and teach an online course. Along with these key topics, this course showcases the perspectives of students, faculty, and instructional designers who have a wide range of experience teaching and learning online.
Preparing Teachers & Students for Online Learning (MERLOT/SkillsCommons) - This comprehensive list of open educational resources offers educators a one-stop shop for moving online.
Online Teaching Toolkit (ACUE) - Association of College and University Educators toolkit includes short video tutorials on topics such as creating instructor presence, organizing an online course, recording effective presentations, planning and facilitating quality discussions, and engaging students.
Teaching Online Resources (UNC Charlotte) - A comprehensive list of resources from the University of North Carolina Charlotte that includes information on the lifecycle of teaching online.
Teaching Online Tools - A crowdsourced document of various (mostly free) tools and apps to support effective online instruction.
Online/hybrid language instruction
LRC Podcast - The LRC Podcast, Speaking of Language, ran a special focus on language teaching and learning in a virtual space for the second part of spring semester 2020. The 8 episodes covered assessment in the online language classroom, engaging learners, tools for online language instruction, voices from faculty and students, and more.
Language Teaching and Learning Online Webinars (IALLT) - The International Association for Language Learning Technology offers free webinars that address critical questions to consider as you adapt your language classes for the online environment. Announcements for upcoming webinars are communicated via the IALLT Facebook page. Recorded webinars are posted at FLTMAG.
FLTMAG (IALLT) - A free magazine on technology integration in language teaching and learning.
Mentoring Program for Online Language Teachers (NFLRC) - The National Foreign Language Resource Center offers materials specifically designed to support the professional learning needs of online world language educators.
Blended Learning Essentials for World Languages (Tech Center) - The Tech Center at the University of Hawai'i offers a free webinar series on blended learning for world languages, including topics such as Learning Languages Online: The Hybrid Format, Building Flipped Lessons, and Interaction in Blended Learning.
ACTFL webinars - Live and recorded webinars prepared by content experts on a range of topics including tips for engaging students online, proficiency and performance, and strategies for assessment. Most webinars are accompanied by pdf versions of the presentations.
Technology for Language Teaching and Learning - A Facebook group that serves as a forum for language educators (all ranks, all languages) to share ideas and resources, seek advice, or discuss topics related to the use of technology in language teaching and learning.
Tech Tools for Language Educators - A crowdsourced list of tools and sites to support online language teaching with descriptions and brief reviews.
For students
Looking for ways to keep practicing your language, no matter where you are? Check out our virtual Conversation Hours. Sessions available in many languages.
For students who want to learn more about Zoom and how to best navigate the online environment, please visit our resource folder on Google Drive. It contains one-pagers that explain Zoom features, a live video demo of a Zoom room from the student perspective, and a tip sheet on how to succeed as an online language learner.
Also check out the list of Things to keep in mind as you participate in online classes provided by Cornell’s Learning Strategies Center and resources for how to cope from Cornell Health.
Students can always reach out to the LRC team with questions during our live help sessions or via email.
FAQs
Where can I find more information on accessibility, accommodation, and inclusion for online courses?
Cornell's Center for Teaching Innovation has compiled useful information on what you need to know and how to get started.
Cornell also recently procured a new tool, Ally, that will assist faculty in facilitating their focus on the accessibility of their Canvas course content.
My students want to collaborate on projects outside of Zoom. Can I share their email addresses?
FERPA permits disclosure of directory information without the student’s consent. Directory information is defined and outlined by the University in the Student Record Privacy Statement and includes name, local and cell phone numbers, and email address, among others. Students can restrict that in Student Center.
We recommend that you ask your students for their preferences and and let them know what their options are.
What about copyright and fair use? What can and can't I use when teaching online?
Read this Public Statement of Library Copyright Specialists on Fair Use & Emergency Remote Teaching & Research. The statement is meant to provide clarity for U.S. colleges and universities about how copyright law applies to the many facets of remote teaching and research in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Signatories include Cornell University representatives.
Is it okay to use online images or videos in a Canvas course?
It depends on how the materials are copyrighted. Review Cornell's copyright and fair use guidelines. Generally speaking, you may use online images or videos if they are in the public domain, are available open access/Creative Commons, or are licensed by Cornell. You also need to make sure you cite the source. Here are some guides provided by Cornell University Library on how to cite images and videos that are obtained from online resources.
If I record my class via Zoom, to share with students who cannot attend, it may capture student names and voices. Is this allowable according to FERPA?
Yes, provided you save the Zoom recording to the cloud. Cornell University provides access to Zoom for faculty, staff, and students for online meetings, classes, and presentations. It can also be used to record these meetings. If Zoom is used to record a class session for later playback by students or faculty and any identifying information is captured in that recording, only students enrolled in that specific course may use it. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) limits access to student educational records, including these recordings. By following the steps above, the recording will only be available to students enrolled in the course. If your captured lectures are available to a broader audience beyond the course section originally being recorded and students are personally identifiable in the recording, FERPA requires written student consent to that disclosure. Learn more at the Cornell Registrar’s FERPA information page. (Taken from CTI's Zoom Policies and Security page.)
See also Cornell's FERPA Compliance Guidelines.
What are some more specialized features in Canvas that can help my course?
Canvas offers a comprehensive Canvas Instructor Guide, covering commonly available features.
The Canvas@Cornell Resource Library offers tutorials and tips specific to the Canvas setup at Cornell. CTI also offers an overview of Canvas and its functionality.
What are some more specialized features in Zoom that can help my course?
Here are just some of the features of Zoom that are commonly used for language teaching.
- Breakout rooms: Allows you to split attendees in Zoom rooms to up to 50 separate sessions.
- Screen share: Allows your participants to view your screen
- Polling: Allows you to create single choice or multiple select questions for your meetings.
- Annotations: Allows you to annotate a shared screen or whiteboard
New features get added to Zoom all the time. Refer to the "What's New" link for Zoom to get up to speed on what has changed with every software update. Also refer to CTI's Zoom Guides & Information page.
General Cornell updates
Visit Cornell’s COVID-19 and reactivation planning webpage for ongoing updates.
Cornell HR has created a useful website with a list of preparedness tips for the university and larger community and also remote work tip sheets for employees, managers, and families.