Hybrid Teaching
Lecturers at the University of Lucerne will find advice and tips & tricks from the Teaching Center to help them design their hybrid courses: Courses that take place with some of the students in the university building and to which students who are not physically present are connected online.
Video: How to set up the Meeting Owl physically (German)
Video: How to set up Meeting Owl in Video and Audio (German)
At the University of Lucerne, we understand the term "hybrid teaching" to mean the combination of classroom teaching and digital teaching: in a seminar room, the lecturer and some students are physically present, while other students are connected digitally. The aim of this variant is to enable all students and lecturers to spend as much time as possible in class and to take advantage of the strengths of digital teaching. Of course, hybrid teaching also poses a number of challenges:
Equal opportunities
The hybrid teaching and learning setting enables all persons to participate in class and university life - regardless of individual corona-related restrictions. However, access to courses varies greatly, requiring students to demonstrate different competencies and to experience different teaching and learning settings with possibly correspondingly different learning outcomes. While physical participants can experience and practice the full range of human communication, digital participants must have technical skills: Application of the programs used, stable Internet, sufficient hardware. Digital communication also requires more discipline and is often more strenuous.
Additional effort
Classical classroom teaching needs to be well prepared so that what is to be learned and checked is also learned. The step into purely digital teaching also requires some additional skills that must be acquired. The combination of both modes in hybrid teaching now requires being able to do and prepare both, and also to moderate the interaction between both modes. This requires a lot of preparatory work and extended competences, both technical and didactic, especially on the part of the lecturers.
Technical Know-How
Whether a lecture is transmitted digitally via a pendant microphone and ZOOM, or a seminar sitting in a circle around a Meeting Owl - not only is the mode of communication unusual, the lecturers must also be able to routinely set up and use the necessary technology in addition to everything else. This also applies to the recording of podcasts, including video editing. These technical skills are quickly learned and quickly become routine. However, they require an initial investment and constantly represent an additional element of teaching that must be taken into account.
Complex Interaction
Of course, we are familiar with social interaction in physical everyday life, and digital communication is sometimes quickly learned, even if the differences become visible. The combination of both takes getting used to, the "group feeling" and personal contacts can sometimes be negatively influenced by this. Solutions are needed to balance out the unequal situation of all participants. In the interest of equal opportunities, lecturers must necessarily resort to the didactic bag of tricks in order to enable all students to have comparable discussions and interactivity at eye level. This is particularly relevant with regard to assessments.
Webinar "Challenges of Hybrid Teaching"
For a well-founded decision on how your own teaching should be structured in HS20, it is helpful to know the challenges of hybrid teaching. In a webinar at the University of Lucerne, strategies were discussed, both technical and didactic, to make teaching easy to implement even under difficult conditions. Here you can find a summary as an annotated PowerPoint presentation and as a video.
- kommentierter PPT-Vortrag (German)
- Video zum Webinar (German)
Further Informationen
A blog entry by Yael Grushka-Cockayne, visiting professor at Harvard Business School, on best practices of hybrid teaching:
Inverted Classroom Model
Especially large basic lectures could switch to the Inverted Classroom Model (ICM): Pre-Corona, students came to the university to listen to one person and deepen their understanding on their own at home. This does not necessarily make sense, because this way the valuable time on site is being used for something that can be accomplished by students on their own, very easily and often better, because it can be individualized in time, place and learning pace. In ICM, the process is reversed: Students learn the basics on their own with the help of various materials, e.g. video with accompanying measures such as texts, questions and small tasks. In the face-to-face course, they work their way deeper into the material under the guidance of the teacher or tutor and thus learn at their level of understanding, which demonstrably means faster and more sustainable learning.
Asynchronous hybrid
One variant, especially for smaller events, could be to use hybrid methods asynchronously rather than synchronously. This means not to simultaneously transmit an on site lecture via ZOOM, but to define the attendance as meaningful points in the concept of the course, and to outsource activities in student-determined intervals, where it makes sense. This way, students learn twofold: Both the mater at hand, and professionally relevant, interdisciplinary competencies such as self- and team organization, and a contemporary and dynamic approach to new technologies.
International hybrid
The routine use of digital technologies not only makes it possible to integrate guest speakers from all over the world into courses in an uncomplicated way, but also to offer courses with international cooperation. For example, a seminar could be held jointly in Lucerne, Stockholm and Madrid in cooperation with several lecturers.
Under "Lectures" we summarize those teaching formats that mainly consist of content input by the teacher and have comparatively little interaction with students or among students themselves. The teacher explains theories and concepts, the students listen and take notes.
ZOOM as digital communication platform
At the beginning of the semester, send the corresponding link to the students so that they can participate in teaching even when they are absent. Start ZOOM on the university laptop in the lecture hall or on your own laptop and start the meeting. Your microphone is transmitted via ZOOM. You have to repeat statements of the students present in the room so that they can also be heard via ZOOM.
Factsheet ZOOM interaktive Funktionen (German)
Recording, editing an uploading video podcasts
You can record your PPT lecture in advance or live via ZOOM. Use Camtasia video editing software to remove the beginning, end, and pause (Get your license from helpdesk@unilu.ch). Afterwards, you can upload your video to SWITCHtube and provide your students with a link via OLAT or moodle.
Application for Camtasia licence for private devices (German)
Factsheet ZOOM-Video mit Camtasia schneiden (German)
Technology in large lecture halls
The technology in our large lecture halls is easy to use. Please take note of these tutorials:
Using a Visualizer
Unfortunately, the Visualizer in the seminar rooms and lecture halls cannot be transmitted via ZOOM. However, it is possible to use a mobile Visualizer for this purpose: In ZOOM, select the tab "extended" in the screen transmission and then "Second camera". For further information, please contact your faculty.
Webcams for increased Immersion and Whiteboard use
You can use mobile webcams for teaching with ZOOM in many ways: As a lecturer, you have the possibility to move around in a limited space and still be transmitted via ZOOM. You can also use the physical whiteboard as usual. Or you can turn the webcam towards the students for a discussion phase and give the students connected via ZOOM a sense of space and the impression of being right in the middle of the action.
Interaction
Interaction in hybrid teaching must take into account the very different approaches of students due to the technological difference in attendance. Tools that balance these differences are ideal. For short surveys, it makes sense to use so-called Audience Response Systems, which the students can all use equally via cell phone, whether they are present in the room or via ZOOM.
3 Strategies for Creating Inclusive, Engaged Hybrid Classrooms
For highly interactive forms of teaching in small groups it is especially important not to make a general distinction between those present in the room and those participating via ZOOM. With digital support, interaction across media boundaries can be successful. The asynchronous phase can be used very well for preparation, presentations or text production.
3 Strategies for Creating Inclusive, Engaged Hybrid Classrooms
The Meeting Owl allows interactive Discussions
The Meeting Owl is a 360 degree camera with integrated microphone and speaker. Placed in the middle of the room, it allows all participants to be heard and seen via ZOOM. The gallery view of ZOOM can be projected via presenter. Setting up and adjusting the "owl" is easy, its use requires increased audio discipline, especially on the part of those present in the room: Those who speak must speak somewhat louder and more clearly in the direction of the owl, while the others must avoid all noise such as moving chairs and the like as much as possible.
Video: How to set up the Meeting Owl physically (German)
Video: How to set up Meeting Owl in Video and Audio (German)
ZOOM as digital platform for communication
At the beginning of the semester, send the corresponding link to the students so that they can participate in teaching even when they are absent. Start ZOOM on the university laptop in the seminar room or on your own laptop and start the meeting. By means of Meeting Owl, those present in the room can also be seen and heard on ZOOM. This setting also works for PPT presentations via ZOOM.
Using a Visualizer
Unfortunately, the Visualizer in the seminar rooms and lecture halls cannot be transmitted via ZOOM. However, it is possible to use a mobile Visualizer for this purpose: In ZOOM, select the tab "extended" in the screen transmission and then "Second camera". For further information, please contact your faculty.
The communicative situation of those physically and digitally present differs significantly. However, there are several methods to compensate for this difference and at the same time even create added value compared to pure onsite classroom teaching. Why not make a virtue out of necessity and use the opportunities offered by digitization in our own teaching, when we are already putting a lot of effort into creating hybrid courses?
Even if not everyone can be present, everyone can work together digitally for short episodes. This is already common practice in our everyday study and work life: We comment articles online, write emails, use ZOOM for meetings. The following scenarios, among others, are suitable for lectures:
Short surveys with interactive tools
You prompt a question and want the students' feedback. What works in the classroom e.g. by a show of hands can be digitally implemented very easily and equally for all: Use a program like fragjetzt, mentimeter, or Klicker. You prompt a question and collect the anonymous answers, which you can evaluate for the further course of the session. The application is easily learned and prepared, the possible applications are manifold:
- At the beginning of a session to activate the prepared content
- After a contentwise input with MC comprehension questions to determine which point requires more elaboration
- During the session to encourage student attention and participation
- Towards the end of a session to repeat the content and activate the testing effect
- etc.
Collaborative Writing
It is indeed possible to use the written word instead of speech. Use OLAT with its course element "Forum" for a written discussion of given facts, for a joint source research, a fact-checking or an analysis of media content (etc.). As in face-to-face sessions, these group works should be an element but not the main part of the session, Be sure to integrate the results of the group work into further teaching.
Not all sessions of your course need to have a presence component. Move some of them completely into the digital world and thus create identical conditions for all students. This can be a very good option, e.g. for student presentations, in which the content is then discussed in small groups via Breakout Rooms in ZOOM, and then returned to the plenum as a reflected statement for further discussion.
3 Strategies for Creating Inclusive, Engaged Hybrid Classrooms
A video can be used as a learning tool regardless of time and place, it can be viewed faster or slower or even repeatedly, and thus can be used flexibly by the students according to individual learning preferences. But only when a video is embedded in the entire course does the potential of a learning video really unfold. In view of the sudden corona situation, the mere presentation of videos is of course a very good step, which everyone involved is happy about. If you also find time to deal with videos, you can find step-by-step instructions for the move from video to educational video here.
The basics: Recording a PowerPoint lecture
Do you want to record a PowerPoint lecture as a video? You don't have to use Zoom for this, it's much easier to use PowerPoint itself. First, create your PowerPoint presentation as usual. Then select the "Record slide show" button in the "Slide Show" tab. Now give your lecture orally as if you were giving it to an actual audience. Then save the file with "Save As" in mp4 file format.
Did you set up your PowerPoint lecture for a 90-minute lecture? For the video, it makes a lot of sense if you divide the lecture into subject sections, i.e. create a separate video for each topic. For example, a 90-minute lecture could result in four videos (depending on what makes sense). This makes creating the videos easier for you, the file smaller for uploading, and gives students the benefit of being able to access videos that are easier to use for learning. Simply divide your PPT presentation into corresponding sections, which you save under a suitable name, and now talk your way through these PPT files.
Advanced: Inverted Classroom Model
Now add tasks to the finished video that the students can work on whilst watching, or after watching the video. For example, you can ask questions in advance that can be answered by the students in text form whilst watching the video. Students can work out an outline for their lecture or write a summary. You can find examples of the topic discussed from your own life perspective or references to current events. You can also critically question the statements made, compare them with another position, develop further questions yourself.
So you have already provided your input in video format and added well thought-out tasks to these videos. What do you do now in the presence phase or during the live broadcast? Use the valuable time together to deepen the content! Ask the students what was most difficult for them and start there. Go beyond this in individual points that were well understood by everyone, increase the level of difficulty and accompany the students in these tasks. Give the students space to discuss and work out solutions together.
Expert: Create interactive videos with H5P
As a next step for the future, but also to give you an idea of what is further possible with a video: H5P can be used to create didactically very well-founded learning videos with comparatively little effort. For example, you can include questions in the video that automatically pause the video and have to be answered first: if the answer is correct, the video continues, if the answer is incorrect, the video jumps back to the point where the question is explained. These and many other interactions, integrated into the video, are possible with H5P. You are welcome to contact the Zentrum.Lehre@unilu.ch if you are interested to learn more.
How do students who are connected online via ZOOM hear the lecturer?
Please make sure that the USB cable labeled "ZOOM" is plugged in to the laptop you are using. This transfers the audio from the microphone directly into ZOOM.
How can the students participating online get involved?
Students who are connected via ZOOM can contribute either via ZOOM chat or directly via audio. The audio is transmitted via the room´s loudspeakers and can be easily heard by everyone in the lecture hall. We also recommend interaction options via survey tools such as fragjetzt or mentimeter. Further possibilities of participation and interaction arise through interactive methods, see further information above.
How can the students present in the lecture hall get involved?
Questions and contributions by the students present in the lacture hall cannot be transfered to ZOOM in sufficient audio quality. Therefore, they have to be repeated by the lecturer for the online students.
Can lecturers move freely in the lecture hall?
Technically this is possible, but there may be limits due to Corona-specific regulations. For binding instructions, please consult the current protection concept.
What do the students present in the lecture hall see?
As usual, students in the lecture hall will see the PPT presentation via beamer transmission to the wall. Depending on the setting of ZOOM on the lecturer's laptop, the ZOOM chat and/or the students connected online can also be shown via video.
What do the students connected via ZOOM see?
The laptop screen can be transferred to ZOOM as usual via "share screen". If an external camera is used in the lecture hall (e.g. a webcam, the meeting owl or a presenter), the image from this camera can also be transmitted.
Is it possible for students on ZOOM to communicate directly with those in the lecture hall?
Not directly in the sense that a student could discuss online with a student in the lecture hall, as it would be possible in the lecture hall. However, there are tools and didactic methods that can be used for this. See above under "Interactive Methods".