2020 Initiative Summary
All campus efforts around instructional technology were rapidly redirected in support of the campus move to remote instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Centralized Remote Teaching, Learning, and Working Resources
By mid-February of 2020, it became apparent that the campus and world were facing an unprecedented level of disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic and rapid preparation to support a shift to remote teaching, learning, and working would be critical to continuing campus operations. OIT developed and deployed a centralized resources, UCI Tech Prep, to serve as a hub for all related technology updates, support resources, and additional, critical information. OIT also partnered with the Division of Teaching Excellence & Innovation to develop dedicated teaching and learning resources with the Teach Anywhere and Learn Anywhere websites. These resources ensured that critical information was consolidated and made immediately accessible to the campus.
Campus-Wide Zoom Deployment
Shifting to remote instruction required rapid deployment of a stable video platform. Zoom was selected as this platform and the campus secured a centralized license enabling every UCI student, staff, faculty member, and other affiliates to access pro Zoom accounts supporting up to 300 simultaneous meeting attendees. To accommodate large courses with over 300 students, OIT also purchased a set of Zoom license upgrades that allow designated accounts to host webinars or meetings with higher capacities. OIT also manage scheduling of large course webinar series where applicable.
Laptop & Hotspot Loan Program
In March 2020, when the campus closed and students were sent home, many students who rely on campus computing resources for academic work didn’t have the means to acquire computers and pay for stable internet access. OIT and the Office of the Vice Provost for Teaching & Learning (OVPTL) partnered to establish the student loaner program in order to support students in need. This program ran for one year, providing laptops and wifi hotspots on an as-needed basis and coming to a close in Spring 2020.
UCI Student Success Initiatives – UCI Supports Students with Free Technological Resources
Remote-Ready Classrooms for Fall 2021
As the campus prepares to transition back to in-person instruction in Fall 2021, OIT Classroom Technologies has updated classroom equipment in order to ensure that every general assignment classroom is configured to support in-person, remote, and dual-mode instructional delivery. This has included installing both web cameras and document cameras for use with every installed classroom PC.
Poll Everywhere Service Expansion
Many instructors incorporate audience response technologies, colloquially referred to as “clickers,” into their teaching in order to conduct interactive class activities, increasing engagement particularly in those very large courses where such activities cannot be readily conducted without technological support. Following a successful pilot program, OIT sourced a centralized Poll Everywhere license for use in support of instruction. The rapid shift to remote instruction increased the priority behind remote-ready audience response support and OIT is continuing to expand the campus’s Poll Everywhere capacity and support structure.