Kansas State University

The university is providing regular updates about the academic instruction experience and health and safety in the classroom. Review the commonly asked questions and related guidance on the fall 2020 experience page for students.

• Identify the modality of each of your classes. 

• Watch this instructional video about course modalities. 

• If your course is in-person or hybrid/blended, identify how the class will meet - how often and what blend of in-person or online.

• How ill you communicate in your on-line course with your instructor and with your classmates? What are your instructor's expectations regarding course communication?

• Where can you find course information or how can you access it? (live-stream, lecture capture, etc.)

• How will you complete and submit learning activities (e.g. assignments, quizzes) and how will you receive feedback and/or be assessed? Are there new due dates?

• Create a schedule and stick to it. 

• Benefits

• Keep motivation up 

• Provide structure

• Ensures you are keeping up with responsibilities

• Tips for creating a schedule

• Work on classes during your original scheduled class times

• Include time for exercise or self care

• Give yourself plenty of time to space out tasks

• Find a consistent method such as Google or Outlook Calendar 

• Try not to procrastinate

• Find your space

• Limit distractions in your environment

• Find a designated work space (not your bed)

• Try to create boundaries between school work and personal life

• One example of keeping track of this information is: 

• Utilize the AAC ‘Navigating Expectations’ Tool to visually see expectations.

• In addition to the great strategies shared below, learn how to be successful from our online learning experts at K-State Online.

• Online Learning Tips for Success from K-State Mortar Board members.
  
  • Learn from students on how to be successful in online courses. Try implementing 2-3 tips each day!

• Become a self directed learner

• Take the time you need to study and learn strategies that work best for you

• Check your understanding:

• What did I learn this week? 

• How do I know what I learned? 

• How can I apply what I learned this week? 

• Is something I learned still confusing or unclear? 

• Participate in an online discussion

• Online discussions can grow quickly so it may be important to check back into the conversation regularly in order to stay up to date

• Answer the prompt by being clear and concise

• Drive the conversation forward by providing examples from your experience, pose clarifying questions, describe possible implications, suggest a different perspective, etc.

• Make the most of your time 

• Avoid multitasking to get assignments done efficiently

• Focusing on one task as a time in order to commit more to long term memory

• Take breaks in between assignments

• Close distracting tabs/apps

• Put your phone away or mute notifications 

• Find out how to ask questions

• Is there a chat feature? 

• Is there an online discussion forum?

• Is your instructor offering virtual office hours? When and on what platform?

• Online Learning Tips

• Continue to take notes as if you were in class 

• Use these tools to keep your notes organized 

• Cornell Notes

• Notes Summary

• Watch recordings at normal speed. Speeding up the video recording may cause you to retain less information

• Reading will be more important for your learning now

• Try using a reading strategy (SQ3R Reading Tool)

• K-State Libraries

• Discover how to take quizzes on your Learning Management System (LMS) 

• (How to take a quiz)

• Explore Read&Write for assistance with reading, writing, studying, and research

• Visit the Academic Achievement Center for Additional Resources

  • Academic Coaching is available through a virtual Learning Lab that is open Monday through Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. You can access a Zoom call where you will find an Academic Coach ready to support you.

    • Academic Coaches can help with:

      • Navigating online learning

      • Connecting to campus resources

      • Understanding course expectations 

      • Academic and time management challenges

      • & more! Don't hesitate to jump on the Zoom link with any questions.

    • Tutoring 

    • Academic Success Tools

K-State’s Honor and Integrity Pledge continues in the online learning environment. Remember, K-State's Honor Pledge: "On my honor, as a student, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this academic work."

• Please communicate with your instructor regarding questions about your class, technology, or assignments. Your instructor is your first point of contact.

• Personal-natured communications. If you run into any issues, communicate early and often with your instructor. This is especially important if you are ill and cannot make course deadlines. Any personal-type questions or concerns must be emailed to your instructor. Include your course title in your email subject line.

• General course communications. Some courses may have a discussion board dedicated to course-related questions. These discussion boards are a great way to ask or find answers to questions you (or your peers) may have. Check to see if your course(s) have these types of discussion boards - if not, email your instructor.

• Netiquette. In online communications (text, email, discussion board posts) tone does not always come across well. Always seek clarification and potential solutions when misunderstandings, disagreements, or problems occur. Be patient and do not focus on blame. Here are a few tips:

• Seek assignment feedback and strive to understand its constructive value, even if the feedback seems critical. 

• When you are asked to give feedback, do it in a constructive, professional manner.

• Avoid any statement or action (e.g., verbal statements, emails, online discussions) that might be interpreted as discriminatory, harassing, insensitive, offensive, or disrespectful against any other student, staff, or faculty member.

• If you are a student registered with the Student Access Center (SAC), this information has been shared with your instructors.

• If you have questions, please contact the Student Access Center at: accesscenter@k-state.edu.
  

• Accessing IT support

• Call 785-532-7722 to open a technology support ticket 

• Managing internet expectations as we teach, learn and work remotely

• Questions regarding how to use ZOOM 

  • Questions regarding how to use zoom

  • Learning management systems (LMS) your instructors may be using. 

Remote Computer Access is being provided to allow students, staff and faculty remote access to specific computer labs on campus. This will allow the use of any specialty software installed on these computers. Popular specialty software includes SAS, SPSS, Mathematica and Matlab.

For more information and to see a list of all software available in the computing labs, visit the ITS website. 

• Find the way your group will communicate or meet remotely. You may consider using Zoom, phone, email, etc. 

• Set the purpose of your meeting in advance

• Create a shared document that outline tasks. Trello or Google Sheets are great collaborative tools!

• Meet regularly with your group to chat about progress

• Communicate with your professor if there is a group problem. For example, by letting your instructor know a group member is not participating.

• Take breaks away from your computer

• Check in on your friends and family

• Schedule breaks

• Take a walk 

• Play with your pet

• Find a creative outlet

• Reflect on your day

• What worked well?

• What needs adjustment?

• What will you accomplish tomorrow?

• Reward yourself!

• Get a good night’s sleep. You will want a fresh mind each day to maximize productivity

Now that adjustments to the fall 2020 course schedule have been completed, consult with your academic advisor about options the fall. You may make changes to our fall courses through the first week of the semester. Our goal is to help you make progress toward your degree while staying safe. In some cases you can switch to a section of an existing course that is meeting in a format that works for you; in other cases you may choose to postpone a course that is on your fall schedule currently and replace it with a different option. Your academic advisor is your best resource as you consider your options.

Your instructor is the best person to answer questions about if and when you need to attend in-person classes or activities. There are a number of different ways hybrid/blended courses are delivered and each offers a different mix of in-person and online instruction and activities.  To see a list of the different ways hybrid/blended courses may be structured, read the information on course modalities.

If you have a situation that would prevent you from attending in-person classes or activities, let your instructor know and consult with the student life office/contact on your campus.

• Manhattan campus – Complete the form on the Office of Student Life website or contact them at 785-532-6432 or stulife@k-state.edu
• Polytechnic campus – Kyle Chamberlin at 785-826-2662 or kchamberlin5@k-state.edu
• Olathe campus – Kimberly Ramacciotti at 913-307-7313 or kramacciotti@k-state.edu

Please discuss your plans with your academic advisor. Ideally we would like to find a way for you to persist and make progress toward your degree. If stopping out is the right choice for you, your academic advisor can help you take the right steps.

Contact your financial aid advisor to discuss your situation.

Yes. Some advisors will be working virtually all semester and others will have a combination of virtual and in-person meeting times. Even during the designated in-person appointment slots, academic advisors can connect with you via Zoom.

At a time when in-person interactions are limited, maintaining frequent communication with your major professor, advisor, and supervisor of your graduate assistantship is especially important. Below are recommended actions to facilitate effective communication about expectations and planning to maintain degree progress. 

• Schedule regular meetings with your major professor to determine realistic expectations and deadlines for completing tasks
• Determine the most effective methods and frequency for you to communicate with your major professor (e.g., email, Zoom, telephone, Microsoft Teams)
• Prioritize tasks and reprioritize as needed
• Submit your program of study by the time you have completed nine hours of graduate work
• Keep your supervisory committee informed of your progress and schedule meetings for feedback when advised to do so by your major professor
• In the semester you plan to graduate, make sure you are familiar with all requirements and deadlines for graduation and to participate in commencement
• Connect with an Academic Coach: Academic coaching is available to graduate students and can help with balancing scholarly, teaching, or professional expectations, to finding and managing motivation, as well as developing strategies and tools to support coursework, dissertation, and professional responsibilities. Request an academic coach here.

• Find a place to work with as few interruptions as possible
• If you are located in Manhattan, take advantage of the graduate student space on the third floor of Eisenhower Hall if you need a quiet place to work
• Determine your most productive time and complete the tasks requiring the most concentration during this time

• Schedule and take mental and physical breaks, such as walking outside for short times daily while keeping your social distance
• Eat healthy and get adequate rest
• Reward yourself with a pat on the back, a movie, extra exercise time, call a friend, or whatever helps you feel good about yourself

• Continue communications with others
• Reach out to friends and colleagues and offer encouragement
• Develop a Peer Academic Support Network, Online
• Connect with other graduate students, faculty, and staff through chat sessions, meetings, and professional development events hosted by the Graduate School, Graduate Student Council, and other student support units