DCS News
After a year off due to the pandemic, the Rutgers Active Learning Symposium (RALS) is returning for 2021. This year’s RALS will be held virtually on Wednesday May 19th. As usual, RALS will feature a day of presentations, workshops, panel discussions, poster sessions, and opportunities to connect with experts, practitioners, and fans of active learning at Rutgers and beyond. Because the pandemic has forced so many of us to dive head first into the challenge of re-imaging teaching online, this year's RALS will include sessions that explore how active learning can not only adapt, but thrive in non-traditional learning…
In preparation for the spring semester, DCS has introduced nine additional Synchronous Spaces, classrooms designed to connect with remote participants. While providing spaces that can be used to videoconference and stream classes has been a focus of ours for the past few years, the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed us to accelerate these efforts. As a result, Rutgers-New Brunswick is well prepared to handle an anticipated increase in the need for classes that can be used to teach converged and remote instruction classes.
As part of this recent wave of installs, DCS deployed eight more Synchronous Learning Spaces (SLSs) based on a new design that…
As Rutgers-New Brunswick prepares for another semester under COVID-19 precautions, DCS has updated its Academic Continuity page to include the most up-to-date information and resources pertaining to classes. Faculty may use this page to learn how they can use a DCS classroom to teach remotely, in-person, or to a converged class in which some participants are in-person and some our remote. Since the spring semester will see the return of more students to DCS classrooms, the page now also includes information on accessing those classrooms and remaining safe within them.
As we prepare to welcome students to back to some of our classrooms in the spring, Digital Classroom Services has worked with Institutional Planning & Operations and Scheduling & Space Management to socially distance our classrooms. To ensure the safety of returning students, seats will be designated for use so that no one sits closer than six feet. Fixed chairs will have seat backs and decals will be places on seats, writing surfaces, and floors to guide students…
Beginning this spring many courses will use DCS's Synchronous Spaces to teach Converged classes comprised of in-person and remote students. In addition to the adjustments required to teaching remotely, Converged teaching requires that faculty engage both types of students simultaneously. Beyond helping faculty technically operate Synchronous Spaces, we work with them to help them tackle the challenges presented by Converged teaching. As part of this effort, we have launched a new page devoted to…