The orientation module of a hybrid or online course is a crucial part of the course. Some professors call it the “getting started” module, the “orientation” module or the “week zero” module because students might see it before the official first day of class.

During a three-day online or in-person camp, my colleagues and I support faculty in building a “week zero” module for their students. Through short presentations with sample materials from existing courses and plenty of hands-on work, participants learn to design ice-breaking activities, record a welcome video, introduce students to the tech tools used in the course, and create plans to communicate and interact with students. They receive individualized support from educational technologists and faculty facilitators, and get plenty of time to practice with tools such as VoiceThread and Padlet. At the end of the camp, participants present on the materials and activities in their week zero module for a course that they may teach in the future.

Materials shared during Week Zero camp include suggestions for:

• welcoming students,
• introducing students to the course and syllabus,
• orienting students to the course site,
• helping students learn technology tools,
• starting to build community within the class.

Other relevant materials:

Giving students a warm welcome (blog post)

Instructor presence: Why is it important & how to enhance it online? (infographic)