There are many technologies available to the SPH community to assist with working and teaching remotely. These technologies are valuable for inclement weather, natural disasters, infectious disease outbreaks or other emergencies. We encourage the community to familiarize themselves with these services.
Lunch and Learn Sessions
Online Teaching: Technology Considerations
Teaching and Learning
Teaching Remotely at Harvard
The Vice Provost for Advances in Learning and Harvard University’s Academic Technology team has created a guide to learn best practices, available tools, and how to get support for teaching your classes online.
Zoom
Zoom accounts are available to all SPH faculty, staff and students and has valuable features like recording, screen and application sharing, chat, and a whiteboard feature.
- SPH Zoom FAQ
- Zoom online training – daily sessions are available live and on-demand with Zoom expert trainers
- Using Zoom to Teach Online Courses
- SPH Video and web conferencing
- Prevent “Zoom bombing” by reading our guide on how to secure your Zoom meetings.
- Log into Zoom
- Zoom and VDI
Canvas
Canvas is the learning management system for residential courses as well as for the Center for Executive and Continuing Education at SPH.
Lecture capture
Lecture capture, powered by Panapto, is a technology that is used to capture courses in our classrooms including audio and video from the podium and computer content from the resident PC or from a laptop.
- SPH Lecture Capture FAQ — includes how to request that previous semester’s course recording be included in your current course and where
- SPH Lecture Capture
Getting online and optimizing connection
“Getting online and optimizing connection” is a useful guide from H.U.I.T on how to get online and optimize your internet connection while working remotely. Read the guide here
From the community: peer training
Online popup sessions generously offered by faculty and T.A.s who have experience teaching online: Watch past sessions on demand and attend future sessions.
Working Remotely
Preparation Guidelines
When possible, using your Harvard-provided laptop is the best option for working remotely. However, we realize that this is not an option for everyone. If you will be using your personal computer, please keep in mind the following guidelines:
- Ensure that your personal computer is running anti-virus software and has the latest updates installed. Harvard Information Security provides this excellent Personal Device Security Guide.
- Make sure you have a device available to use 2-step verification. Most of us use cell phones, but you can add your tablet, home phone line or other device by following these steps.
- Devices and documents – remember to grab any paperwork you may need, and think about hardware needed while remote. Items such as web cameras, headsets, microphones, and power adapters can become mission critical when working off-campus. Recommendations for Zoom video conference equipment can be found here.
Access Your Data
Many of our collaboration tools are available in the cloud and are already accessible from anywhere you have Internet access. No VPN required. These resources are protected by HarvardKey and 2-step verification.
- Email and Calendar
- Network drives (S: drive and P: drive)
- OneDrive
- Sharepoint
- Microsoft Office applications
Collaborate
Zoom accounts are available to all SPH faculty, staff and students and has valuable features like recording, screen and application sharing, chat, and a whiteboard feature. Zoom is accessible from anywhere you have Internet access. No VPN required.
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- SPH Zoom FAQ
- Zoom online training – daily sessions are available live and on-demand with Zoom expert trainers
- SPH Video and web conferencing
- Log into Zoom
- Zoom and VDI
- Prevent “Zoom bombing” by reading our guide on how to secure your Zoom meetings.
Harvard’s VOIP phone system allows your Harvard phone number to be forwarded to any number (home or cell number). This allows you to continue to use your Harvard business number for remote work.
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- Harvard Phone User Account Portal
- Harvard Phone User Account Portal User Guide
- Harvard Phone Service Catalog page
A newer service called Microsoft Teams (replacing MS Skype for Business) allows for group text, private messages, full integration with O365 applications and more. Microsoft Teams is accessible from anywhere you have Internet access. No VPN required.
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- Group chat and instant messaging
- For a fast and easy reference on the interface and helpful shortcuts and tips download Microsoft’s ‘Quick Start Guide‘. Also, you can get a great understanding of the the look and functionality of Microsoft Teams by working with the interactive demo.
- Sign up for training at the Harvard Training Portal
Getting online and optimizing connection
“Getting online and optimizing connection” is a useful guide from H.U.I.T on how to get online and optimize your internet connection while working remotely. Read the guide here
Other software not listed above
- Need help installing or using VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure)? Read the VDI FAQs
- Need to use Wasabi? For guidance and options to access Wasabi remotely, please click here.
- Need to create PDFs and signed them digitally? Learn more about PDF Viewing, Editing and Printing and get answers in our Acrobat Pro DC FAQ.
Learning Remotely
The following resource provides some guidance from information technology on learning remotely and links to resources and frequently asked questions on student resources.
Learning Remotely at Harvard
The Vice Provost for Advances in Learning and Harvard University’s Academic Technology team has created a guide to learn where to go, what to do, and how to get help as you learn online.
Collaborate
Zoom accounts are available to all students allowing students to collaborate with other students and host group meetings for up to 300 participants.
- Log into Zoom
- SPH Zoom FAQ
- Zoom online training – daily sessions are available live and on-demand with Zoom expert trainers
- SPH Video and web conferencing
- Zoom and VDI
Access virtual student laboratories
Virtual student laboratories are powered by VMware VDI and are available on your laptop giving you access to dozens of statistical software packages and datasets on class network drives required for your classes.
Access your files
Many of our collaboration tools are available in the cloud and are already accessible from anywhere. These resources are protected by HarvardKey and 2-factor authentication.
Access library resources
Harvard Library makes it possible for students participating in remote classes to connect seamlessly through direct engagement with library staff, access to online course materials, and collaboration across the University.
Download and install Microsoft Office
Do you need Microsoft Office on your laptop? Office ProPlus is available for free to SPH faculty, staff, and students. It enables colleagues to download and install the latest, full versions of Microsoft Office up to five times on any device.
More information may be found at: https://mso.harvard.edu/office-proplus-overview.
Getting online and optimizing connection
“Getting online and optimizing connection” is a useful guide from H.U.I.T on how to get online and optimize your internet connection while working remotely. Read the guide here
Reference Guides and Resources
How-to videos:
- Optimize sound and video quality in Zoom
- Trim the beginning and ending off of a Zoom cloud recording
- Upload a Zoom cloud recording to Panopto
Useful reference guides to download to help you address some common impediments:
- Network troubleshooting tips
- Zoom participant tips
- Zoom security and privacy tips
- Zoom troubleshooting tips
Don’t get phished:
Reduce eye strain:
