Navigating Remote Learning at UCLA: A Comprehensive Guide

The shift to remote learning has presented both challenges and opportunities for the UCLA community. This article provides a comprehensive overview of UCLA's remote class options, resources, and guidelines, designed to help students, TAs, and faculty navigate this evolving landscape.

Adapting to Remote Instruction: UCLA's Initial Response

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered the educational landscape, prompting UCLA to transition to remote instruction. In response to the unprecedented circumstances, UCLA encouraged students to move back home and challenged faculty to rapidly adapt their courses for online delivery. The University first announced March 10 that it would move to remote instruction which was later extended through the remainder of the academic year and Summer Session A.

Essential Resources for Remote Teaching and Learning

UCLA offers a wealth of resources to support remote teaching and learning. These resources aim to address the unique challenges and opportunities presented by the online environment.

Campus Teaching Centers & Programs

EPIC (Excellence in Pedagogy and Innovative Classrooms Program): Offers online workshops on Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
UCLA Library: Provides a dedicated landing page for remote teaching resources, including Writing Instruction and Research Education (WI+RE) modules that can be integrated into CCLE courses.

Technical Support and Training

HumTech (Humanities Technology): Serves as the home base for assistance with technology in teaching and research, offering targeted support for instructors transitioning to remote teaching. HumTech has assembled a targeted list of options to help instructors shift to remote teaching: Help Moving Humanities Instruction Online.
CCLE (Common Collaboration & Learning Environment) Collaboration Site: A quick-start guide designed to introduce UCLA faculty and instructors to the basics of teaching remotely, making effective use of instructional resources and tools available within and outside CCLE.
Daily Workshops: Provides daily workshops on remote teaching, covering topics such as creating online course content and migrating from paper Scantron to CCLE. Simple, to-the-point design makes this course easy to navigate. Tutorials are organized into digestible chunks. Tutorial for Migrating from a Paper Scantron to CCLE.
CCLE Help Center: Offers support from CCLE support staff, available for remote help.
UCLA IT Services Support Center: Provides comprehensive IT support for instructors and students.

Health and Well-being

UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): Operates 100% remotely and offers same-day clinical consultation, referrals, treatment recommendations, and coordination of mental health care and support to all registered UCLA students, regardless of insurance plan or current residence. CAPS can offer same-day clinical consultation and help with referrals, linkage, treatment, recommendations, and coordination of mental health care and support regardless of insurance plan or current resident. For the 2020-21 academic year, CAPS has re-established session limits as follows: four sessions for all registered and eligible UCLA students, regardless of UCSHIP coverage, and four additional sessions (8 sessions total) for those with UCSHIP or as clinically indicated. Due to state law and the California Board of Psychology and the Board of Behavioral Services restrictions, students currently residing outside of California are eligible only for clinical coordination and referral to a provider in their local area based on student insurance plans.

Approved Software and Tools for Remote Instruction

UCLA has approved several software and tools to facilitate remote instruction, ensuring security and functionality for online learning.

Zoom

Zoom has become UCLA’s primary approved software tool for remote live and recorded academic sessions and meetings. It offers various features to enhance the online learning experience.

Features: Video conferencing, screen sharing, breakout rooms for group collaboration, non-verbal feedback options, and chat function.
Security: UCLA provides guidelines for Zoom security settings to prevent unauthorized access and disruptions. Most instructors now require passcodes for their Zoom meetings to prevent unauthorized individuals from gaining access. The increased usage of technology has furthered concerns about digital privacy and protection of personal data. To protect the privacy of all participants in a Zoom meeting, students are prohibited from recording class sessions or taking screenshots of the lecture material and chat log, unless pre-approved by the instructor. If participants do not want their background surroundings to be visible, they have the option of using Zoom’s Virtual Background feature to select either one of Zoom’s default backgrounds or a custom background of their choice. "Zoombombing,” have prompted the University to outline stricter guidelines on protecting online privacy and security when using Zoom.
Resources: UCLA provides resources for getting started with Zoom, tips and tricks for teachers educating on Zoom, and a collection of UCLA-themed virtual backgrounds.

Other Approved Software

BruinCast
Respondus: Often used during tests, which locks down students’ internet browsers and records them via webcam to detect signs of potential cheating while they take an online assessment.
Turnitin
Voice-over PowerPoint Presentations

Strategies for Effective Remote Teaching

Instructors have adopted various strategies to create engaging and effective remote learning experiences.

Replicating the Lecture Experience

For most lecture-based courses, instructors have opted to replicate the lecture experience over Zoom. During a typical Zoom class, the instructor will give the lecture as they normally would in an in-person setting, and display PowerPoint presentations and other visual aids by sharing their screen with the entire class.

Promoting Interaction and Collaboration

To promote in-class participation and group discussion, instructors will often divide the class into Breakout Rooms, which sends students into smaller Zoom meetings with a handful of classmates, allowing them the chance to discuss the material in smaller groups. The instructor has the ability to “hop around” and join any of the Breakout Rooms to see how students are doing.

Asynchronous Learning

Some instructors are pre-recording lectures and lecture slides for students to go over on their own time, providing additional flexibility for students, especially those in other time zones.

Adapting Hands-on Courses

Remote instruction poses even greater complications for courses that require physical, hands-on instruction, such as labs and performance-based courses. Some of these courses have had an easier time adapting to online formats. For example, many dance and theater movement classes have students learn and practice movements by following instructors on Zoom, similar to an online workout class. For STEM classes (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) with a lab component, many of these labs are now being conducted via online simulations. Similarly, nursing students who are required to complete in-person clinical rotations at hospitals are now doing some of their clinicals via online simulations as well.

Read also: Navigating Tech Breadth at UCLA

Addressing Challenges in Remote Learning

Despite efforts to emulate in-person classes, many students said online learning posed various new challenges, such as not being able to focus as well or interact with classmates and instructors as smoothly. Students have also complained about disruptions due to technical difficulties such as lagging Wi-Fi.

Maintaining Academic Integrity

Remote learning has made it more difficult for instructors to monitor students’ behavior during tests and assignments, and instructors have turned to alternative methods to preserve academic integrity in a digital environment. One common solution is using a program called Respondus Lockdown Browser during tests, which locks down students’ internet browsers and records them via webcam to detect signs of potential cheating while they take an online assessment.

Fostering a Sense of Community

A vital aspect of learning is the community fostered within a classroom. The absence of discussion can be a major drawback to students’ learning experiences, as it limits what they gain from the course. “We wanted students to interact with each other and feel like they were part of a classroom or a learning community, instead of just doing everything on their own,” said Love.

Accessibility and Flexibility

Every student has their own unique living situation and online classes help to accommodate different schedules - whether that be because of athletics, internships, families or jobs. The flexibility of online classes needs to be a viable option for every student, not just a handful. Valerie Wu, a rising second-year chemistry student, said she took Linguistics 1: “Introduction to the Study of Language” this summer and noted that a benefit of the course was that students could attend any discussion section, adding to the flexibility.

Resources for Students

UCLA provides various resources to support students in the remote learning environment.

Read also: Understanding UCLA Counselors

Textbook and Course Materials

To help students access textbooks and physical course materials, the UCLA store has offered free delivery to students’ homes or on-campus housing and has introduced a new option for online textbook rentals. Several education companies have also made their textbooks and digital learning platforms available to students online for free, as has the UCLA Library which has made many textbooks and academic research materials available online.

Communication Tools

While it may no longer be possible for students to raise their hands in class to signal when they wish to speak, Zoom allows students to imitate this action via its raise-hand function. Zoom also has a chat function that allows students to send text messages to the group during class. Both the chat and raise-hand functions allow students to communicate with one another and the instructor without disrupting lecture. Messages can either be sent for the entire class to see, or they can be private messages directed at specific individuals. While direct private messages cannot be seen by others when class is in session, they will still be recorded in the post-meeting transcript along with all other public messages for the meeting host to see.

Remote Access Accommodation for Students with Disabilities

The Center for Accessible Education (CAE) provides accommodations for students with disabilities, including remote access to courses when necessary.

Requesting Remote Access

Students already registered with CAE do not need to re-apply but may need to provide additional documentation.
Students not yet registered with CAE must apply for academic accommodations and provide supporting documentation.
Requests should be submitted as soon as courses are finalized, or at least 2-3 weeks before classes begin.

Documentation Requirements

CAE may require documentation from a provider that includes:

A description of the professional relationship with the student.
A statement of support for accommodations, addressing how the disability relates to the need for remote access.
Recommendations for non-pharmaceutical mitigation measures and academic adjustments.
An estimated end date for remote participation, if applicable.
The relationship between the request for remote participation and the barrier impacting the student’s ability to engage in on-campus experiences.

Denial of Remote Access

Remote access may be denied if it would create a fundamental alteration to the course, its assessment, or its intended delivery. In such cases, CAE will investigate alternative accommodations.

Alternative Accommodations

If remote access is not approved, alternative accommodations may include:

Taking a reduced course load.
Adjusted attendance in consultation with CAE.
Enrolling in a course with fewer total students.
Access to additional personal protective equipment.

Options for All Students

All UCLA students have access to certain academic adjustments and support.

Enroll in courses already being taught in a remote format.
Seek advising support to prioritize remote courses in academic plans.
Enroll in courses taught in camera-equipped classrooms and attend through recorded or live-streamed lectures.
Returning undergraduates can declare nonattendance or take a leave of absence.

UCLA Extension: Continuing Education Opportunities

For over a century, UCLA Extension has helped prepare people to live better lives through the power of education. As one of the nation’s oldest, largest and most comprehensive continuing and professional studies providers, UCLA Extension gives you a wide range of options to advance in your career, switch careers, or achieve personal growth.

The UCLA Extension Difference

A UCLA Extension certificate offers in-depth study of a professional field. Our goal is to prepare students to thrive in today’s ever-changing professional landscape by offering an exceptional and convenient learning experience. This means you'll receive the resources and support to succeed, along with the convenience of online courses that seamlessly fit around your busy life.

Exclusive Benefits

Certificate students enjoy exclusive UCLA benefits that include workshops, networking events, career advising and job search resources.

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