Teaching with EDGE

Teaching with the EDGE Program

Your class will be recorded and broadcast via the web, microwave, or cable television. FCC regulations regarding programming must be followed. EDGE broadcasts up to 80 hours of classes each week, and because of this tight scheduling, as well as the requirements of broadcasting and FCC regulations, we ask for your help in following a few guidelines.

Course Delivery/Streaming Video

For a description of our streaming video system, see Streaming. If students do not watch live, the files will be available within 2-3 hours of completion of each class session. Some students will still be watching videotapes or CD-ROMs, however, so there will still be a delivery delay in those cases.

Time

Classes must start and end at the scheduled times. Our classes are broadcast live and are required to conform to FCC regulations regarding program schedules. The operator must roll the videotapes for one minute before beginning the class session. Your patience with this process is greatly appreciated. If you begin teaching before you see your picture on the line monitor at the podium, it means the EDGE students will not see you.
Classes also should end at the bell. The operator will give you time cues to help with this. If you run out of time, please try to finish the material as soon as possible. Our preparation for the next class cannot begin until your class ends.

Overheads

Materials must be within the frame of the camera. The aspect ratio of the video screen is 4X3 (landscape or horizontal layout). 24 point is the minimum readable font size for video presentations. Presentations using Microsoft Powerpoint are strongly encouraged. All presented information is viewed through a TV monitor by the EDGE students; if the writing is too small, or written outside the frame of the camera, the students won't see it. It is a good policy to make any materials you present in class available to the students before the lecture. We have provided a peg system on the podium that will help you to insure that your overhead materials are within the frame of the camera. Fine point pens are difficult to read, so please use a felt-tipped pen, like a vis-a-vis or a Sharpie. Powerpoint Template You may also bring in your laptop or check out EDGE's laptop for presenting your Powerpoint slides. We can shoot the laptop display to be viewed by all students with our overhead camera.

White Boards

Writing should be legible and large enough to be viewed from the rear of the room. The camera is part of your audience. The EDGE students only see what the camera sees. The cameras must physically move in order to follow your presentation, and it takes a few seconds to move the camera and at least 3 seconds for the information to register with the student.

Computer

If you are planning to run a presentation directly from your laptop, please coordinate this in advance with Jason Reep at 543-4689.

Audience Questions

Although the classroom has microphones in the ceiling to pick up questions from the audience, questions often cannot be heard. It is very helpful if you can call attention to the question to alert the operator to increase volume on the ceiling microphone. Please repeat the question for the EDGE students before answering.

Call-in Questions

EDGE has the ability to receive calls from students watching live and patch them through to the classroom. If you feel that this interaction is important in your course, we recommend that you strongly encourage or even require students to take advantage of the opportunity.

Below are instructions for you to provide to students:

To ask a question, or respond to a question from the professor, call (206) 685-1860.
An EDGE staff person will take the call and put you on hold while notifying the professor. If you hear audio from the class in your telephone's handset, you are next in the queue and should turn down the volume on your computer. The audio you hear on the phone will be "live" while the video on your computer screen will be subject to the 15-30 second delay.
If you do not hear audio from the class at first, remain on the line. When the audio comes through the phone, that will be a signal that your question is next in the queue.
When the professor decides to take your question, give your name and where you're calling from, and state your question in a clear, normal speaking voice. Stay on the line during the response for additional questions or clarification, and simply hang up when the exchange is complete.
If too many students are waiting to ask their questions, you will hear a recording asking you to try again later.

Asynchronous Discussion

Catalyst Online Learning Tools
The UW has made a significant investment in the development of Catalyst tools for the use of the web in education. Catalyst includes:
EPost is an online discussion board. Students can post messages at any time, allowing you and your T.A. to respond at a convenient time. Unlike one-to-one email, all students in the class benefit from this exchange. EDGE establishes an EPost discussion board for each class and will automatically place links on the course web pages it maintains. In cases where the instructor maintains the course web site, we will send the URL to you.
PeerReview allows students to post documents to a web site where all students can review and comment on each other’s work.
WebQ allows you to generate surveys, questionnaires and quizzes, including multiple choice, short answer, or "select all that apply" type questions.
QuickPoll is a simple survey tool that generates instant graphical results for one-question surveys.
E-Submit is a way to collect assignments electronically without using email attachments or faxes.
iSubscribe helps you manage email listservs through a web interface.
Web Templates provide a simple way to create a course web site of your own. The EDGE course web sites were created based on these templates.
More information on Catalyst is available at www.catalyst.washington.edu. If you are interested in help with determining how best to use these resources, contact Michael Campion or the Catalyst Team.
EDGE is constantly experimenting with new technologies. If you would like to learn more about implementing these tools in your course, or if you have new ideas to propose, contact Michael Campion.

Guest Speakers

If you plan to invite a guest speaker to your class, please coordinate with the Control Room staff. Your guest will be asked to arrive approximately 20 minutes early for an orientation and set-up. He/she will also be asked to sign a release form . This signed form must be provided to the EDGE staff prior to the beginning of the lecture.

Handouts

EDGE will post your presentation materials on the web if you provide an Adobe Acrobat (.pdf), Microsoft Office, or HTML file. Please send materials to EDGEweb before the lecture as an email attachment. The file will be posted in a way that makes it possible for EDGE students to watch the video while viewing the lecture notes.
Most departments have a mailbox marked EDGE. Please leave materials that are to be delivered to students in this mailbox, or bring them directly to Loew Hall, Room 2.
If a handout is more than 10 pages long, please make enough copies for all EDGE students, plus one extra for the EDGE office. For handouts shorter than 10 pages, bring an original to the EDGE office and we can copy it for you.

Receiving Materials from EDGE Students

Most students either deliver materials (i.e. completed homework and projects) to the EDGE office via fax, e-mail or courier.
Materials from students will be left in your mailbox in the appropriate department. If you would like materials delivered elsewhere, please notify EDGE.

Proctor Policy

All local (Seattle/Everett/Tacoma) EDGE students are required to come to campus for their final exams, unless given permission by the professor to take them off-campus via a proctor.
Students are allowed to take their mid-term exams off-campus by designating an individual to serve as a proctor. The proctor must be someone that is affiliated with Training or Human Resources within the student’s company, and an individual that is not reporting, or related to the student.
The EDGE office approves all proctors.

Exam Notification

Please submit the exam notification form to EDGE ten days prior to each exam. This is so we can make arrangements for proctors. We need to receive the actual exam at least three days ahead of time. Because exams are faxed to proctors, please make sure that instructions, questions, and any supplements are easily legible (preferably 12-point or larger.)

Exam Procedures

EDGE students unable to attend exams on-campus must have an approved proctor, who is responsible for administering exams (according to your instructions). Please submit a completed EDGE Exam Notification Form to the EDGE office at least 10 days before an upcoming exam. This notification form contains your instructions for the exam, and will be forwarded to students and proctors so they can plan accordingly.
The proctor receives the exam from the edge office via fax one day before the exam and holds it in a secure location until exam time. Proctors then fax completed exams to the EDGE office, and mail the originals (or send them via the courier service). Exams are then delivered to your mailbox. To ensure that proctors receive materials in a timely manner, please deliver a copy of your exam to the EDGE office at least two full business days before the exam date. If the exam is in Word or PDF format, you may e-mail it to EDGE.

Course Evaluations

EDGE course evaluations are on-line and made available to students the 9th week of each quarter. They are separate from on-campus evaluations. We will send you a report containing your evaluation results during the first week of the following quarter.

Grades

Grade sheets are sent to EDGE, then distributed to professors for completion. Please note the deadline date for grades. Submit the original directly to the GARS office before the deadline and send a copy to the EDGE office.

Academic Issues

All academic issues between faculty and students are to be handled by the faculty.

Video Production

Are you looking for a way to "get your message out"? EDGE has the equipment and experience to put together all the elements you need for a complete video production from start to finish. If interested, please fill out the following electronic form to find out more information. Video Production Request Form