2022-2023 Dual-Delivery FAQs

Primarily this is an assessment as to whether the course’s learning outcomes can be achieved by students who are not physically in the course. In the past two years, many instructors have worked hard to minimize the number of in-person-only courses and have introduced modifications to their dual-delivery courses that have negatively affected certain learning-outcome objectives for the course — or even the overall program — and in some cases massively increased the workload or preparation times for the instructors. Outside of a pandemic context, these learning outcomes are expected to be achieved once again, and instructor’s workloads cannot continue to be as stretched as they were. In some cases, this will mean that courses that had been available in a dual-delivery format earlier may now be designated as in-person-only courses.

2. Why is Redeemer limiting the number of remote students signed up for any particular course?

As a part of Redeemer’s Exploration Year of dual-delivery in a non-pandemic context, we are considering how best to incorporate dual-delivery in courses. Based on the past two years experience, we are starting with an experience-based assumption that the quality of interactions between remote students, in-person students and instructors will be positively impacted by limiting the number of remote students – the instructor is more easily able to see them on the TVs in the classroom and encourage positive engagement and dialogue with that smaller number of remote students.
For some context, over the past year, almost all non-EDU courses had fewer than 10 declared-remote student numbers and we expect that demand for remote courses will be similar or lower next year. However, the unpredictability of non-declared-remote students going remote for a day is one source of challenges for instructors that this plan aims to address.

3a. Will there be a remote student cap on Bachelor of Education courses?

No. The School of Education will continue its exploration of how to intentionally integrate remote learning into the teacher education program next year on the assumption that a cap on remote students in this second-degree program would not enhance program delivery nor the learning experiences of teacher candidates.
NOTE: It is likely that remote students in the B.Ed. program will need to be one campus for a small variety of events, and possibly for some classes in individual courses throughout the academic year.

3b. What about the practica in the B.Ed. programs? Does remote status also mean practica will be taken remotely?

The School of Education recognizes the importance of face-to-face teaching in schools and as such prioritizes in-person practicum placements. Teacher candidates should not expect to participate solely in remote placements.

3c. Are there other considerations the School of Education takes into account when making program-delivery decisions?

The B.Ed. program is accredited by the Ontario College of Teachers. As such, decisions regarding program delivery and practicum requirements are subject to regulatory changes that may emerge as pandemic realities shift.

3d. As a returning B.Ed. student, how do I declare remote since I do not have an appointment with an Academic Advisor?

When you receive the form to register for your second-year Education courses, there will be a question about your in-person or remote status for next year.

4. Will remote students get the same learning experience as in-person students?

While the experience may be quite similar in some, or even many, classes, there is no guarantee that remote- and in-person-student experiences will be identical.
Perhaps the most noticeable difference will be the ease of access to the instructor, as informal conversations after class and in-person office meetings during office hours (and for some faculty, during “if the door’s open, come on by” opportunities) will need to be replaced with proactive measures, largely on the remote students initiative, to schedule meeting times with the instructor.
Some other class elements may also be experienced differently, such as discussion/breakout groups and assessment methods (with remote students needing to use secure online testing software while in-person students may be completing the test using pen/pencil and paper, for example).
Instructors may creatively use different activities that are specifically designed for in-person or remote students so long as both activities allow students to achieve the course learning outcomes. For example, in some experiential exercises, remote students may be assigned the role of observers rather than participants. They will contribute to the debriefing portion of such exercises as observers and will therefore still achieve the course learning outcomes.

5. Can local remote students come to campus to write major tests and their final exams?

With the prior permission of their instructor (which may include consideration of possible space constraints in the assigned classroom), yes.

6. If the approach to course delivery planned for 2022/23 were maintained into the coming years, could I arrange it so that I can take my entire program remotely?

This may be possible in some programs, but instructors’ experiences over the past two years offering courses in a dual-delivery format has led them to make adjustments to their courses, sometimes as a “concession” to the pandemic reality. In some cases, this has resulted in learning outcomes in those courses — and sometimes as a result, learning outcomes for the overall program — not to be achieved. For this reason, a smaller number of additional courses will be designated as in-person only in 2022/23 than in previous years. Therefore, while multiple terms worth of courses in some programs may be able to be taken remotely, there will be additional programs (beyond many B.Sc. programs, Art and Music) that can no longer be completed entirely remotely.

Q7. How is the remote-seat cap determined in any particular course?

The determination is made by the instructor, program director and dean, taking into account pedagogical needs and approaches of the particular course and the overall context of the course in the program(s) it serves.

Q8. How will you determine who gets the limited remote seats?

As with regular course-registration, seats are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, with graduating students having first access to registration, followed by third-year, then, second-years, then first-years, and then incoming students. Actual assignment of remote students in classes they have registered for may occur later in the Spring/early Summer as we prepare our systems to accommodate this selection method, but seats will again be assigned in the order that students registered for the course as a remote student. More details can be found here.

9. Can I choose to take some courses in-person and some remote?

As a general rule, no. Students who elect to take their courses remotely will be expected to take all of their courses remotely for the duration of any one academic term. Students may choose a different modality in Winter 2023 than they choose for Fall 2022.
As a rare exception to the general rule, in-person students in certain upper-level courses that have been selected to run exclusively remotely may need to take this particular course in their “opposite” modality.

10. What factors go into determining if a senior-level course will be either all remote or all in-person?

This is primarily a decision made by the instructor, program director and dean, taking into account pedagogical needs and approaches of the particular course whose primary delivery method is dialectical, where experience has shown that all-remote conversation is preferable to a mixed in-person/remote setup.
Courses that will be all remote or all in-person will have their modality assigned based on whether there are remote students registered in the course at the end of May 2022.

11a. What if I am an in-person student who, at some point during the term, needs to attend all my classes remotely due to illness. What must I do to let Redeemer and my instructor(s) know?

Redeemer is working on a form for students in this situation to fill out that will automatically inform instructors of this temporary switch and provide an expected timeline for your return to in-person class. Failure to submit the form may lead to the instructor asking you to leave class if you join remotely.
If you are unwell to the point that you are unable to attend and participate well in class, you are encouraged not to attend class, neither in-person nor remotely.

11b. What if I am ill and one (or more) of my classes is designated as an in-person-only class? Will I be able to attend remotely for a class or two?

These situations will need to be worked out individually with the course instructor. Depending on the timing and nature of the course, you may need to miss class until you are able to return to class in-person.
In some cases, instructors may let all students know in the syllabus that the entire course will be in-person only and if students are unavailable to attend a class in person, they will be absent.

Redeemer University is promoting three values that guide the approach to course learning: Hospitality, Mutual respect, Professionalism.
Hospitality promotes a learning community where participants know where to look for and welcome each other.
The values of mutual respect and professionalism also provide guidance on the topic of access for in-person students to remote learning:
- Mutual respect encourages each person to participate in the course in the modality or role they signed up for.
- Professionalism provides an expectation that we approach our coursework and class attendance not only as an opportunity or a right, but also as a serious vocation; undergraduate education is a preparation for the “real world”, and classroom attendance expectations are in line with this.
For context, these values lead to expectations for remote students and instructors as well:
- Remote students are expected to participate as fully as the technology, course material, and pedagogical approaches allow.
- Professionally, instructors are expected to follow the course syllabus as much as possible and teach from an integrated Christian perspective. As well, focussing on the values of hospitality and mutual respect, faculty are called to do their best to ensure all students are given the opportunity to participate and learn in the class; when students are present in their agreed-to format whenever possible, the instructor is able to have a better sense and plan for the classroom dynamics and pedagogical approaches for their course on a day-to-day basis, thereby ensuring a better learning environment for all students.
We are grateful for technology that allows students to participate in classes in cases where it would otherwise not be possible, but we also understand that the technology can also be used in less helpful ways, which our guiding values help us to identify and seek to avoid.

13. What if there is a flare-up of COVID-19 (or another communicable disease) that leads to restrictions like those we’ve dealt with over the past two years?

Redeemer will track this eventuality and decisions on a pivot to an expanded dual-delivery approach will be made if necessary.

14. What about snow days? Right now, all classes get cancelled, but can we have the option to meet remotely for class when there is inclement weather?

The Inclement Weather Policy will be reviewed in the coming months, allowing the current approach to be reconsidered in light of the benefits the technology can provide in this special case. Other factors, including the mental-health benefits of enjoying an unscheduled break and playing in the snow, will also be considered in that review.

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