Office Hours and Additional Instructor Interaction Options : Teaching Online : Teaching Center : ��ǿ��

Office Hours and Additional Instructor Interaction Options

Online Office Hours (OH)

Faculty and instructors should communicate OH/engagement opportunities with students via the syllabus and Blackboard course page. You may also want to have your OH information listed in your email signature.

When planning online synchronous OH, consider the following:

Time zones: Plan to accommodate students in a variety of time zones. Consider using a poll at the beginning of the semester to schedule your OH to ensure students in various time zones will be able to participate.
Using scheduled class time: If course content is delivered asynchronously, consider using one of the scheduled class times to hold additional open OH.
Waiting Rooms/Breakout Rooms: Consider using waiting rooms and/or breakout rooms when holding OH via Zoom.
- Suggestion: Have all students sit in the main room while you go to the breakout room with a student for a private conversation. This way the students can always chat with each other or work together while they are waiting—which is more akin to a normal environment where students will chat in the hallway.

Screen Sharing/Whiteboard

If you or a student needs a virtual whiteboard option during office hours, consider using an online whiteboard alternatives. For example, Zoom features such as the screen share and white board can be useful if you want to share hand-written work online. Consider using a tablet or a drawing tablet and sharing your screen. You can also set up a document camera or cell phone camera to view a white piece of paper or lap whiteboard where you can work through problems by hand.

Online whiteboards can be a great way to work through a problem collaboratively with a student. Even if a student needs to use a mouse, they can use the text option to brainstorm next steps in a problem or a relevant equation

Summarize OH

Since not all students will be able to attend OH, consider posting a summary after your office hours of relevant questions you received and the answers to those questions.

Technology Orientation

Consider an activity to help students gain familiarity with Zoom technology and the process of having remote OH. This may be particularly relevant at the start of semesters when the students will have had a limited opportunity to get to know the instructor.

Suggestion: Have an assignment where students must attend an office hour in the beginning of the semester. There is evidence that establishing personal interaction through such activities can improve long-term OH attendance. Another advantage is that students may feel more comfortable interacting in synchronous sessions if they have met the instructor and/or TAs. Further, requiring OH attendance at the beginning of the semester will reveal any timing or time zone issues with the scheduled OH time.

Teaching Assistant (TA) OH

Set clear guidelines for your TAs at the beginning of the semester on how to hold synchronous, online office hours. Ensure that they have access to Zoom Pro accounts as well as the proper technology to hold successful office hours.

TA training may be required so that TAs gain familiarity with technology and feel comfortable using video and audio during synchronous meetings.

More Information

For more on online OH see Small Teaching Online: Applying Learning Science in Online Classes by Darby & Lang, Chapter 5, section .

Physically-Distanced Face-to-Face Office Hours [Heading 3]

Consult the ��ǿ�� COVID-19 guidance to determine whether face-to-face office hours are permitted. If they are, minimize student density in hallways by scheduling appointments using a tool like or (built into , AS&E's email and standard software package). Use the autorespond function to communicate any key information to students, such as a reminder to bring a mask and any other needed materials with them.

Additional Instructor Interaction Options

Communication Policy

Consider implementing a clear email/communication policy. Indicate when you will and will not be reachable by email and a response window (i.e. If a student emails by ___ you will respond by ___ or within ___ hours). Clearly state your policy in your syllabus and on the Blackboard course page.

Communicate Availability

Communicate your availability for alternate meeting times and the process that students should schedule a meeting. Consider putting a or link in your email signature so students can easily schedule an appointment.

Provide Q&A Time Before/After Class

Often in remote learning settings, students miss the ability to ask questions before/after class. Consider ways to mimic these opportunities. For example, if class is from 2-3:15, set up a policy where you will stay behind in the zoom classroom from 3:15-3:30 every class to answer questions.

Discussion Boards

Use discussion boards to give students more opportunities to interact outside of 'normal' class hours. Consider having TAs help monitor discussion boards ensure quick responses.

Discussion board tools offer different functionalities, such as settings that permit anonymous questions or questions that are anonymous to other students but identifiable to the instructor, functions to allow instructors and students to “upvote” questions or mark excellent responses, and so on. See the asynchronous discussion board page for available tools.

'Open Door' Policy

Consider an 'open door' policy. For example, you might encourage students to email you to set up alternate times for office hours, similar to how a student might just drop by your office in the in-person environment.

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