Virtual Learning Support

Meetings that happen live (could be in person or online. Your professor is teaching or answering questions in real time. You can interact with your professor and your classmates. The expectation is often that you do your best to attend. Examples of synchronous course events could include lectures, office hours, question and answer sessions, and review sessions before an exam.

Meetings or information that is pre-recorded and posted in the course website from which students will learn. The expectations are that students watch and/or read the information when is convenient for them by due dates. Students then turn in assignments or participate in discussion boards by outlined due dates. Examples of asynchronous events could include pre-recorded lectures, video clips posted to Canvas, and discussion boards where you can post at your convenience (by the assigned deadlines of course).

All WPI students must go into BannerWeb, under the Student Services & Financial Aid tab, click “Check-in,” and then complete that process. If you plan to take courses that semester, you MUST check in and indicate you “AGREE” to the terms or you will be dropped from your courses.

These are meeting times with your professor or your TA/PLA where you can ask questions about lecture content, homework assignments, or any course related content. It is also a good way for your professor to get to know you. It is best to prepare a question before joining office hours. If office hours are held in person, you can show up at the designated time and place. If office hours are held virtually, you can click the link during the designated time.

Some people in the course will join in person while others will join online. Each professor’s hybrid course will look a bit different so make sure to read through the syllabus to understand expectations. If you are on campus but plan to attend virtually, make sure to email your professor. If you are attending virtually, make sure to pay attention to participation and online attendance expectations.  

These courses are fully online. Some may be synchronous and others might be asynchronous. Make sure to read the syllabus carefully to understand how your professor has designed your course. Don’t assume anything. There may also be participation or attendance requirements. Make sure you are clear on these expectations. Email your professor with questions about the setup and requirements as soon as possible.

These courses expect that you will attend in person. You are not able to attend virtually. Make sure you are clear on attendance requirements.

Even if you are not able to form study groups in person, you can still form groups virtually using Zoom or Teams. Try emailing some people from your class to see if they’re interested in joining you. You could also ask your professor if there’s a place to post the invitation in the course Canvas site.

Wear a mask, following social distancing (6 feet from others), and wash your hands.  

Canvas is the platform used by many courses to host a course website. It allows you to submit assignments, take quizes, post on discussion boards, read information and more. 

Teams is a platform supported by WPI where you can form groups, chat, video conference, store files that anyone in that group needs access to, and more. 

Zoom is a video conferencing platform where you can meet virtually with others. 

Slack is another platform that teams can use to share information and chat. This platform is not currently supported by WPI. 

Videos already done that you watch on your own time, not a set time, and are helpful for the next class session whether it is online or in person.

Many faculty are holding office hours virtually. Check your course syllabus and/or email your professor or TA/PLA for specific information for your class. 

Yes, if your class is scheduled to have a TA or PLA, you will be able to connect with them virtually. Check out your course Canvas site to see how to best reach out. 

Connect with your professor about expectations for partner and/or group work. Remember, WPI policies around academic honesty still apply. If you are looking to find ways to connect with peers for any of these reasons or more, consider emailing a classmate through the course Canvas site and/or utilizing WPI tools such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom to virtually connect. Learn more about these tools in the Canvas Online Student Center site. 

You can email your professor, TA/PLA, and classmates directly through your course in Canvas (see the Canvas Online Student Center for instructions). You can also connect to other resources on campus (for example, Academic Advising for tutoring or Librarians for research) virtually. Check out their websites for contact information. 

Take a look in the Canvas Online Student Center under Update Your Profile & Notification Preferences and learn how to make your Canvas profile. We also encourage you to reach out your faculty, TA/PLA, and classmates to stay in touch. If you have questions, don't hesitate to reach out.