Preparing Your Class

What to Do Before Your First Class

Prepare your supplementary course outline.

If you are teaching online, consider whether the learning is synchronous or asynchronous (or a combination). For most courses in LLS, online and blended learning have asynchronous components. Then, design your virtual learning activities using FanshweOnline. Check with your program manager or coordinator if you were assigned a course with a required synchronous component — synchronous online hours will appear on your class timetable.

If you are teaching in a physical classroom, find it in advance to ensure that you will be on time for your first class and to ensure that you plan your class with those surroundings in mind. If you plan to use any technology in your classroom, even if it’s only the projector, take the time to orient yourself to the technology set-up in the room before your first class.

If you plan to use any learning technology that requires set-up (kahoot, polling, or an online homework system), set it up beforehand and test it to ensure it works. Your students will likely ask for the access code and/or link in the first class.

Check to make sure that you have access to your course in FanshaweOnline. If you don’t, please get in touch with the school’s Educational Support Technologist. Typically, students will gain access to your course 48 hours before the start date of the academic term.

You’ll want to ensure you have the appropriate information within FOL completed before the semester starts to avoid receiving many emails from students inquiring about administrative and technical details related to your course. Our courses in FOL will contain mandatory templates, which need to be filled out before the start of the term, such as instructor information, supplementary course information, assignment due dates, etc.

Make sure you know who the audience for your course is, including what background knowledge you can expect from your students. Your program coordinator or your course lead can provide you with information about who your student groups are likely to be.

If you will be working with others delivering another section of the course, meeting to discuss a common approach to the curriculum is advisable. In the cases of WRIT and COMM, for example, your program coordinator will hold an orientation session at the beginning of the term and check-in sessions/communities of practice throughout the semester. Make every effort to attend any sessions that are offered. Monitor your fanshawec.ca email for important emails and meeting invites throughout the term.

Prepare (at least) your first class, including all the practical information for your students, such as textbooks (open or from a publisher), articles, streaming media, and other resources available through library subscriptions, assignments, assessment plans and grading scheme, etc.—and something that will capture their interest.

How Do I Prepare My Course Syllabus?

Instructors are expected to provide a detailed supplementary outline –or syllabus–to their students, which includes, for example, course description and objectives, a schedule outlining the topics to be covered, as well as details related to assignments and readings, department or course policies, and expectations around academic integrity. You can also include a more detailed description of your instructional methods or expectations. As your program coordinator, course lead, or another experienced faculty member, if there are sample supplementary syllabi available for viewing.

In most cases, you’ll be teaching a course that already contains the completed course learning objectives, which are located on the official Course Plan. You must not change or rewrite the course objectives as they have already been vetted and approved for the programs they belong to. When in doubt, ask your coordinator about details regarding course learning objectives.

What Is myFanshawe, and How Do I Access and Use It?

The myFanshawe employee portal is the primary internal website where information about all aspects of the Fanshawe College community is communicated. The portal is available to faculty, staff, and students, and you can use it to access a wide range of information for administrative, HR, teaching, IT, and Health Information. To access myFanshawe, use your Fanshawe email address and password. You can access timetable information and class lists and sign up for professional development opportunities.

What Is FanshaweOnline, and Do I Have to Use It?

FanshaweOnline (FOL) is the College’s innovative learning management system (also known as an LMS) for creating, hosting, and editing online learning resources. FanshaweOnline contains a flexible suite of tools for creating custom content for courses and users.

All faculty at the College must use FOL for the routine administration of all courses. For more information about FOL, please see the Introduction to FanshaweOnline, Organizing your FOL Course, and FOL Minimum Course Requirements of this guide for more details.

What Is Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and How Can I Learn More About Using These Principles in Designing My Course?

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework that educators can use to inform their practice, improve their teaching, and ensure their students can fully participate in the learning journey. Organizational Development and Learning (ODL) periodically offers workshops on this topic and could answer questions about implementing the UDL framework in your course.

How Do I Choose My Textbooks and Other Course Materials?

If you are teaching a required course–a large first-year course with multiple sections, such as WRIT and COMM, for example–the textbook has already been chosen by the department and cannot be changed. This is to ensure consistency between different sections of this type of course. If you teach a GenEd or a GAP elective, you may have more freedom to choose your course materials. In any case, discussing your ideas with your coordinator or a colleague who has taught the course before is always a good idea to ensure you know what is considered standard in our school. If you use a standard text along with previously used course materials like assignments, you need to ensure that the materials refer to the same edition of the text your students will be using. If you require assistance locating additional resources, you can contact the Library Learning Commons and speak to our school’s designated library associate; please get in touch with them early. They can help identify appropriate resources and share suggestions on alternative options (e.g., the content we already license, like articles, e-books and stream media, Open Textbook options, and various Open Educational Resources).

Support for Creating or Using Open Education Resources

If you are free to choose a textbook, keep your students’ finances and sustainability in mind. For example, you might want to consider adopting an open textbook. Large collections of open textbooks and supplements are available through projects like BC Campus’ Open Textbook Project or eCampus Ontario Open Library Portal, eCampusOntario’s Open Library Portal, or other open textbook portals. Visit the library’s OER Design Studio page if you want to use, adapt, or develop an open education resource such as a textbook.

Where Do My Students Buy Their Textbooks?

If your students buy their textbooks at the Fanshawe College bookstore, they can use the convenient Course Materials  Search tool to find the required books for their courses. Suppose your students ask you about buying their books online or using them. In that case, you should tell them that used books or different editions may not include all the necessary supplementary materials, such as access codes for online repositories.

Students may choose to purchase their books online through some of the many online vendors. Providing them with complete information about the textbook you will use helps ensure they buy the correct material instead of an older edition or publication with a similar title. You may also want to provide them with the publisher’s website. Many texts and e-texts these days come with an access code that allows students to access assessment platforms or a wide range of supplementary materials. If this is the case, make sure that you communicate these crucial details clearly to students.

How Do I Deal With Copyright Issues for My Course Materials?

Copyright questions can arise when you and your students use or reproduce printed or digital content for a course. The Fanshawe Library Learning Commons provides instructor copyright guidance and recommends you contact our Copyright officer for advice if needed.

How Should I Plan the Assessments for My Class?

If you are teaching a required course or one with multiple sections, you are advised to consult with colleagues and/or the program coordinator before developing your assessment plans and marking scheme. For curricula such as WRIT and COMM, many assessments have already been defined and are available on the course outline and plan. You should not alter the value and weight of these common assessments. Many required courses will include a “discretionary marks” component for a certain percentage of the total course value. Speak to your colleagues about which types of discretionary activities work best for your course and subject area. If your course is new or is not a required course, you may have more freedom in its design and delivery. Still, it is always a good idea to familiarize yourself with what is considered standard practice in our academic unit and ensure that your course assignments align with the College’s grading policies.

Do I Need to Book Rooms in Advance?

When your course is scheduled in the Fanshawe timetable system, a classroom space is assigned to you; you do not need to book a room. Midterms or review sessions are often scheduled during regular class time and are written/facilitated in your traditional classroom. If you need to book a room, ask our department’s administrative assistant how. For final exams, rooms will be booked for you when the Office of the Registrar schedules the exam, and it will appear on the exam schedule published by the College.

What Equipment Is Available in the Classrooms? Is there Technical Support?

Fanshawe Media Services provides computers, data projectors, sound systems, and other related A/V equipment in Fanshawe’s lecture theatres and classrooms. Additionally, equipment loans are available for classes, department meetings, and conferences. Media Services provides the following services to the Fanshawe Community:

• Media Equipment Loans (photo, video and audio)
• Consultation on Media Equipment (use, set up, function and purchase)
• Consultation on Media Software (video and photo editing apps)
• Video recording and editing Service to support Fanshawe Learning
• On-campus Fanshawe Event Support
• On-campus Classroom Media Support

The IT Help Desk provides the following:

Contacting the Help Desk

• In-person: Room E2030, 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd, London, ON
• On the phone: 519-452-6902
• Live Help: Fanshawe LiveHelp

If you intend to use a whiteboard, ensure that your room is equipped with one – most rooms at the College are. We strongly recommend bringing your own dry-erase markers since they are not usually supplied. Ask your department’s administrative assistant where they are kept in our school.

It would be best to visit the classroom where you’ll be teaching ahead of time to ensure you know what equipment you will have to use and have time to familiarize yourself with the set-up.

What Is the 25% by Midterm Policy?

The college requires faculty to assess 25% of the total grade by the mid-term deadline.  You should keep this in mind when designing your course outlines. This requirement is outlined in Section 2.2.5 of policy A131: Evaluation of Student Learning as follows:

2.2.5. Professors must return the results of graded evaluations to students, representing no less than 25% of the final grade, prior to the date on which mid-term grades are recorded. If a course does not adhere to this policy statement it must be communicated to students in the Course Outline or have been approved by the Academic Manager and communicated to students well in advance.

What Is Exam Week (Week 15)?

The date and time will be scheduled during exam week if your course has a final exam (you can find this in your Course Outline/Plan).

The Academic Planner will email you at the beginning of the term with specific instructions on providing exam information about your course(s) so that the College can schedule them during exam week. Closer to exam week, the Planner will email instructions for exam week, including the invigilation list. You will need to look up your course if it has a final exam to find out who your invigilator is so that you can give them the materials for the exam and collect them from them afterwards.

References

The following has been adapted from “6. Preparing your class” in Teaching and Learning Guide for UPEI Instructors. Copyright © 2022 by Teaching and Learning Centre – UPEI and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

Change log: This version contains stylistic, organizational and branding changes that differ from the above source. In addition, changes in wording and references to other institutions and external resources have been either updated or removed. Fanshawe College-specific information has been added to reflect our teaching and technology ecosystem.