When it comes to synchronous hybrid teaching, you can see it from two different perspectives depending on the level of ambition, unplanned synchronous hybrid teaching and planned synchronous hybrid teaching.

Unplanned synchronous hybrid teaching

The unplanned synchronous hybrid teaching means that regular teaching is primarily planned for campus, but that the teacher offers individual students to participate at a distance because they cannot attend the classroom for various reasons. This form of synchronous hybrid teaching does not place the same demands on the teacher because it can be seen as an "emergency solution" that benefits both the teacher and the student. The student does not have to submit a supplement for a missed lesson or wait for a replacement lesson and the teacher does not have to plan extra course sessions or administer and assess supplementary assignments. The unplanned solution also does not require the same technical equipment. The teacher does not necessarily have to see the distance students on a big screen, but only on his own computer. A simple camera, a room-recording microphone that picks up sound and image from the classroom and a speaker so that the participants in the classroom can hear the distance students is really enough. The easiest way is to use a conference system for video conferencing where all these functions are gathered.

Here are some concrete examples of how synchronous hybrid teaching could be carried out without any major preparations with e.g. a portable conference system.

Example 1, Lecture with teachers, classroom students and a limited number of participants at a distance: The learning activity is primarily planned for campus, but some students cannot participate for various reasons. The teacher then uses his own computer to show any presentation by sharing it in Zoom and at the same time via a projector in the classroom. Use a headset and stand at your computer throughout the lecture (alternatively plug in an external room recording microphone and place it near your computer so you can move around a bit more or get a wireless "mosquito" to move completely free). However, it is important to constantly pay attention to whether the sound is good for the participants who participate at a distance, so it may be a good idea to start the lesson with a "sound check" so that you know how far from the microphone you can go.

It is also good to decide at the beginning of the lesson what the participants should do if they have questions. One way is that the participants who are in the classroom raise their hand as usual and that the participants who are at a distance use the chat in Zoom to ask questions. It can then be a good idea to appoint a moderator among the students who are on site, who logs in to Zoom on their own digital device and keeps track of any questions in the chat and then draws the teacher's attention to it. If the participants on site ask a question, it is important that the students who participate at a distance hear what is being said. If the microphone does not pick up the sound from the students in the classroom, the teacher must therefore repeat the question or hand over the microphone to the student so that the question is heard. When students who are at a distance talk, they simply turn on their microphones and ask their question. The students in the classroom will then hear what is said through the speaker in the classroom. In addition to the fact that it is important that all participants hear each other well no matter where they are, it can also be nice for the students to see each other. It can therefore be a good idea to connect an external camera to a tripod in the teacher's computer and place it so that both the teacher and the students in the classroom can be seen in the picture. If the students want to see who is at a distance, they can connect to the digital room in Zoom with their own digital devices and turn off the camera and microphone and turn down the volume to avoid echo.

Example 2, seminar with teachers and a limited number of participants on site: At a seminar, the teacher sometimes wants to take notes on his own computer, then it can be good to use an extra computer that you connect an external camera and microphone to and which is logged into the same Zoom room. Another option is to use a mobile phone or tablet that is logged into the zoom room via the Zoom app and placed as an extra camera in the classroom. Furnish the room so that the camera "captures" all participants in the classroom and position the microphone so that everyone can easily talk and face the microphone. If the teacher or one of the participants is to show something or share a presentation, it is easiest if all participants log in to Zoom and take part in the presentation, but it is also possible for the teacher or one of the participants to project their screen via a projector in the classroom. However, remember to urge all participants in the room to turn off their cameras and microphones and turn down the volume on their devices to avoid echo (also applies to the teacher's own computer if two computers are used).

In discussions "around the table", it is important that the teacher keeps track of the speaking order both in the classroom and in Zoom in order to then distribute the word fairly. If all participants in the seminar are connected to the same Zoom room, it is also easy to keep track of any questions in the chat or to use the function to raise your hand.

Example 3, joint introduction and group work with participants both on site and at a distance: Sometimes a teacher may want to introduce a learning activity in a whole group and then let the students continue working on assignments in small groups, and then gather again for reporting in a whole group. If possible, you should in that case book group rooms in advance for the students who want to participate on campus and to avoid congestion in corridors and at public study places. The easiest way to work with group work in hybrid form is to divide the campus students separately into small groups in group rooms on site and the distance students separately in break out-rooms in Zoom. If you want an introduction or reunions in a whole group, it can be easily solved by all distance students returning to the "main room" and that a participant from each group room on campus connects to Zoom and points the camera so that the whole group is visible in the picture. If there are few students participating on site, it is of course possible to divide them into groups around different tables in the same classroom, but be aware that it can create an echo when they connect to Zoom in whole group discussions. Work in intergroups where participants on site and at a distance are mixed in the same groups is most easily arranged by everyone participating at a distance from their own digital devices and being divided into different break out rooms.

Planned synchronous hybrid teaching

The planned synchronous hybrid teaching means that the teaching is planned for flexible participation from the very beginning and that the students themselves can choose whether they want to participate on Campus or at a distance. This form of teaching therefore places much higher demands where you as a teacher should constantly strive to achieve as equal a lesson experience as possible, regardless of where the student is. It requires some experience from the teacher and maybe even a prepared and decorated classroom. All participants should e.g. see, hear and be able to communicate with each other unhindered no matter where they are, which requires some training and experience.

At Stockholm University, planning and organization are currently underway for a number of classrooms for hybrid teaching.

Text: Stefan Karlsson