Online Instruction FAQs
How will we interact with our instructors/troubleshoot our designs?
How will remote students interact as teammates?
Will they have the same quality of experience as local students with designated workspaces?
Online meetings are extremely common in the design profession - with clients, consultants and designers rarely in the same location/time zone. We are confident that students and instructors can use technology to communicate with one another.
Will all remote students be taught by the same instructor?
This will vary by course, but for the most part, yes.
How will instruction account for the big differences between time zones (12-14 hours?)
Studio instructors will have a better sense of timing during the first week of classes and will do what they can to ensure there is no undue burden on students facing significant time zone differences from Calgary.
Will you hire Teaching Assistants and Research Assistants for the Fall? If yes, how do I apply to be a TA or RA?
Yes. An email will be sent to all students with the teaching assistantship postings. International students without a study permit will not be eligible, as they won't have a Canadian Social Insurance Number.
When will the reading lists for courses be available?
Course outlines are due in mid-August and reading lists will be available then.
For students in other time zones, will they be able to view recorded online sessions or do they need to participate in real time?
We will have students from 15 different countries this year and realize time zone differences are a concern. Most of our big classes have been scheduled to occur between 9am-12pm MT. Most of the online learning will be synchronous, however instructors will have some flexibility in the studio and elective classes to act according to the needs of their classes
How will students get to know each other if the primary mode of instruction is online? Will SAPL facilitate a way for students from the same course to get to know each other?
We're working on a new outreach and orientation program that will facilitate peer-to-peer, as well as peer to instructor, relationship building. The student profiles are a way to enable that, as well as mentoring and D2L pages for each course that respect privacy while enabling students to interact with each other.
Are there any plans to connect students living in the same remote areas for the possibility of in-person collaboration?
We hope to facilitate collaboration as much as possible. The student profiles are a way to begin that process and each course will have its own D2L page allowing students to interact and share contact information should they wish to do so.