1. Plan for online teaching and convert to campus version

It is usually easier to plan your hybrid lessons for the students who are online and then convert the learning activities to campus versions, than vice versa. If you are planning for campus teaching, it can also be easy to forget the students who are at a distance.

2. Publish all course material online in the learning platform

In order to create an equal study situation for all students, regardless of where they are, all course material should be published in the learning platform before each course opportunity. If you still distribute course material to the students in the classroom, you should at the same time give the online students clear instructions on where to find the course material in the learning platform. Then also think about giving the online students a little extra time to look up and open the course material if you intend to have a joint review of it.

3. Interconnected campus students

To facilitate communication with the distance students, it can be good if the students in the classroom also connect their digital devices to the current Zoom room. However, it is important that everyone participating from the classroom has their microphones turned off and the volume turned down to avoid noise and echo. Do not forget to inform the students about this well in advance of the course so that they know that they can bring a digital device if they participate on site.

4. Headset for distance students

There has been a big difference in the distance students' sound experiences in hybrid lessons depending on whether they use headsets or not. Therefore, encourage students who plan to participate from home to use headsets or headphones to get the best audio experience possible.

5. Create Zoom rooms well in advance

In order to create as equal a situation as possible, it is important that students receive information about the place for the lesson at the same time, regardless of how they will participate. Therefore, create a Zoom room at the same time as you book classrooms for the lesson and enter both the link and the room in the schedule.

6. Do not get out of the picture

It is important that the students who participate online can see you in the picture when you communicate with the students. Therefore, do a video check before the lesson begins to see how far you can move in the classroom without leaving the picture. A good tip is to place an object or put a piece of tape on the floor that marks how far you can move in the classroom.

7. Keep an eye on the microphone

If you use a room-recording microphone, it is important that you always turn in the direction of it when you speak, otherwise the sound quality will vary greatly for the students who participate from home. It is easy to turn your back on the microphone if you are used to walking around the classroom, so it may be a good idea to encourage distance students to remind you as a teacher if the sound gets worse. It may be a good idea to start the lesson by doing a sound check with the students participating at a distance so that everyone can hear well and find out approximately how far from the microphone you can go before the sound gets bad. It also makes it easier if the microphone is portable or has a long cord so that it can be moved around the classroom when someone is talking.

8. Large camera range

If you let an external camera cover as large a part of the classroom as possible, you will not have to move the camera all the time if, for example, different groups have to report something in the classroom.

9. More cameras in the classroom

If there are more cameras in the classroom, the distance students can choose which view they want to see, which makes it easier for the teacher who does not have to move the camera to adjust the view. Adding a camera to a classroom is easier than you think. For example, it works well to log in to the Zoom room with a phone or iPad that you name a suitable name in Zoom and place in a suitable place in the classroom.

10. The same start time regardless of where the students are

Starting the Zoom room and the classroom at the same time may seem less important, but there is a lot that can be discussed before a lesson starts. It is important that all students feel involved and receive the same information no matter where they are. It is also important not to turn off the classroom microphone during any breaks so that distance students can also follow informal classroom conversations.

11. Introducera upplägget

It is easy to believe that today's students have a high level of technical competence, but this does not necessarily mean that they are familiar with and can handle all digital systems. Therefore, dedicate a moment at the beginning of the first lessons and show basic functions in the system and inform about how you want the hybrid lesson to be carried out. It can be about rules for how you want the distance students to do to raise their hand or how questions to teachers and classmates should be communicated.

12. Turn off microphones and turn on cameras

Ask distance students to turn off their microphones and turn on their cameras. Since all sound from Zoom goes out in speakers in the classroom, it is important that everyone who participates remotely turns off their microphones and only turns them on when they are talking. Feel free to encourage distance students to have their cameras turned on as it increases the interaction if the teacher and classroom students can see them.

13. Appoint a moderator

Appoint one or more moderators among the students in the classroom who can keep track of the chat and raised hands in Zoom. This is a fundamental factor in making distance students feel the same value as campus students. It also facilitates the situation for the teacher, who can then concentrate on organizing and leading the learning activity.

14. Work on the sound

Sound is the most important factor for the success of hybrid teaching. Therefore, make sure that the classroom is as soundproofed as possible so that everyone can hear well. Close windows and doors and ask all students to turn off their cell phones. Although these sounds are not perceived as disturbing to our ears in the classroom, the microphone can pick up and amplify these sounds.

15. Work on the light

Make sure there is good light in the classroom so that everyone is clearly visible. Also encourage distance students to sit in good light so that you can see facial expressions and reactions.

Text: Stefan Karlsson, CeUL:s digital learning team