Request a Remote Course Facilitator for Summer Term
June 12, 2020
Faculty:
About the RCF Program
The goal of the Remote Course Facilitator (RCF) program, organized by the Graduate College and funded by the Office of the Provost, is to assist faculty with the technical and administrative aspects of moving F2F courses to a remote format and to help support the remote learning environment in which active engagement is critical for a successful student experience.
Please Note: Graduate student RCFs are NOT Teaching Assistants (TAs) and should not be expected to have knowledge of course material; nor should they participate in any teaching, grading or assessment.
Here are some examples of tasks that are appropriate for an RCF:
- Assist with all functional aspects of Zoom or other web-conferencing tools used for synchronous course sessions and troubleshoot any technical issues
- Assist the faculty member during synchronous course sessions by monitoring questions using the “hands up” or chat features in Zoom or other web-conferencing tools and assigning or moderating breakout rooms
- Support the faculty member with other remote teaching delivery resources such as Blackboard Ally, Blackboard Collaborate, Camtasia, Kaltura, Turnitin, VoiceThread, etc.
- Monitor discussion boards on Blackboard Learn and alert faculty to key or recurrent questions or reach out to any students with technical issues
- Help uploading course materials or multimedia files, such as Zoom recordings, into Blackboard Learn
- Provide after-class support by summarizing student questions and concerns and follow-up on solutions for any technical or functional issues
- Direct students to and help them understand general course policies (syllabus), expectations and assignments in the remote learning environment (i.e. how to submit, clarifying assignment format, etc.), and relaying any FAQs or concerns to the faculty member
- Complete additional trainings or workshops within reason to assist the faculty member with remote teaching and learning technologies
Here are examples of tasks that are NOT permitted for RCFs:
- Teach/moderate course sessions or prepare course content or materials
- Answer content-related questions or provide after-class tutoring or academic support
- Grade any assessments or enter grades, including providing performance-based feedback
- Manage or respond to issues of academic integrity
- Serve as a TA for your course
- Work significant hours outside of synchronous class time, unless otherwise arranged and agreed upon by all parties, including the Graduate College
Here are some testimonials from faculty who utilized RCFs in the spring:
“[My RCF] gave me the freedom to focus my time and energy on teaching rather than the technology of the remote environment.”
“[My RCF’s] help was very important. [They] managed the virtual classroom, helping students engage at all times, and by assigning faculty, TAs and students to breakout rooms.”
“[My RCFs’] help was absolutely invaluable. I truly felt that they ‘had my back’ and that I was free to do what I am charged to do – teach!”
“Frankly, I am surprised that more of my faculty colleagues did not take advantage of the resource.”
Requesting an RCF
To request an RCF for the summer term, please complete the form here:
drexel.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2sDPIUYjHgfybzv
Someone from the Graduate College will be in touch with you ASAP to match you with an RCF(s) and discuss next steps. If you have any questions, please contact graduatecollege@drexel.edu.
The Office of the Provost provides an award of $450 per graduate student RCF assigned to serve for the summer term.
Additional Remote Teaching Resources
An RCF may not be right for everyone. Faculty will be expected to outreach and work with the RCF in order to make the most out of the partnership. If you have any questions or concerns, we encourage you to reach out to the Graduate College at graduatecollege@drexel.edu.
Please keep in mind these additional resources available to support remote teaching at Drexel:
Thank you for all of the amazing work you are doing to support our students! We hope you find these resources helpful.