UCI Math Summer Instructors.
Thank you very much for serving as instructors for our Mathematics summer courses. These course offerings are important learning opportunities for many of our students (majors and non-majors). Given the continued remote nature of our summer offerings, we are offering the below guidance for specific aspects of course delivery. Please read them carefully.
- Many of the remote teaching policies and guidance from Spring quarter are still in place. Please see the following page for teaching resources and tutorials on Canvas, Zoom, and Yuja: https://www.math.uci.edu/~spring_teaching/
- Consistent email communication with your students is particularly important for remote teaching. Given the lack of in-person classes, students rely on quick e-mail replies from their instructors to clarify content and logistical concerns. Please check your email often and prioritize quick replies to your students.
- Students report that constant communication from instructors increases their engagement, participation, and enjoyment.
- Course evaluations from students often reference the amount of email communication during remote teaching. Instructors with consistent communication policies are appreciated by their students; conversely, a lack of communication is often noted negatively in evaluations.
- Since email communication is so important, the Mathematics department will be paying particular attention to comments from students about quick replies and clear, consistent messaging.
- Plan to write to your students at least once per week during your summer course. In addition, do not hesitate to remind them of upcoming deadlines, major themes in the day’s lesson, and other announcements.
- Encourage your TAs (if applicable) to write to their students often and consistently as well.
- Please write to your students at least a couple of days before the first day of class (or earlier) to let them know what to expect on the first day of class. Many students report anxiety in not hearing from their instructors until Day 1. (For SSI instructors, it is the time to send your students the first email of the class)
- Some instructors in the math department use the online Q&A site Piazza to avoid having to respond to the same questions over and over. Feel free to email Chris Davis if you would like advice on using Piazza in your course.
Since remote instruction is still new to many of us,
the Mathematics department is here to support you. Please feel free to reach out to Zhiqin Lu (
zlu@uci.edu), Bob Pelayo (
rcpelayo@uci.edu), or Chris Davis (
daviscj@uci.edu) if you need any more specific advice.
Sincerely,