Written by Dulmini Wathugala, TLC Learning Designer
Cohesion of face-to-face and online instruction, roughly the same amount and never simultaneously – the “hybrid model” is no longer a novel term to us. Maybe you’re already teaching in one of many hybrid classrooms we have at UFV, either for a hybrid format or a fully face-to-face class. Yes, educational technology should be incorporated into teaching and learning only if it is adding value to your practice, not because it’s available and using it is by no means mandatory. For you who’s curious, here are some things that UFV hybrid classrooms afford you to do.
The primary reason for installing the hybrid equipment was if a student misses a class due to a genuine reason, such as self-isolation, then the class can be recorded and viewed later. As we slowly but steadily defeat the pandemic, lecture capture will still stand a valuable and inclusive tool, enabling students who are not learning in their own language to review lecture material with closed captions and transcripts at their own pace. Kaltura is capable of auto closed captioning and transcribing your videos so it won’t cost your time but I’m sure the students will appreciate the resource!
What if you have an online guest speaker joining the class? These technologies will enhance student engagement with the speaker and such sessions can also be recorded for students to access later.
The webcam that is mounted on the top of the computer monitor and a document camera can be used for lecture capture and the overhead microphones in the hybrid classrooms can capture your voice as well as the students’ throughout the classroom. The document camera does not have to only project documents or books. It can be rotated to capture the whiteboard or the students. It could be used to exhibit a chemical model, demonstrate the steps in an experiment or even make a timer visible to the whole class to time an activity.
Maybe you’re already using the technology in an unconventional, creative way or you have designed an activity and wondering how to incorporate the technology to it, we’d love to hear from you at askTLC@ufv.ca