Since S1 2021, a relatively new teaching mode has been introduced in Monashto to cope with the new scenario of the pandemic. In those classes, some students attend a workshop in a physical classroom while others attend via video conferencing (eg Zoom) at the same time. Teachers have to deliver synchronous learning occurring at the same time for both on-campus and remote participants, known as Hybrid Concurrent Teaching.
In this new model, every student is able to have the same opportunity to receive identical information from their teachers in real-time, discuss with their peers and teachers, and complete in-class learning activities synchronously.
This new mode allows all students to connect with their educators and peers at the same time. With the hybrid model, every student is able to get the same information presented by the educator at the same time. Students are all given the same opportunity to participate in class discussions and to participate in online-class activities synchronously.
Despite its benefits, it also presents some new challenges to our teachers who most likely have never done that before. I know that I have never done that before! What should we do? MEA has prepared some interactive teaching scenario demonstrations on their website. And I am also preparing myself for working with such a unit in the coming semester.
Design and preparation
- Prepare a detailed session plan. Here are some examples from MEA:
- Team project lesson plan
- Tutorial lesson plan
- Workshop lesson plan
- And when you present those plans to the students, you can simplify them and make them more visually appealing for the students.
- Design how students in each cohort will ask questions and how both the question and answer will be communicated with other students if necessary.
- Plan simple learning activities before advancing to the complex ones
- Consider pre-recording most of the contents for students to view before the face-to-face sessions.
- Plan extra time for:
- Technical preparation
- Time to socialise: ice-breaker, fun activities ...
- Multiple mini-breaks
Teaching activities in the classroom
- Easy ones:
- Demonstration
- Polling
- Quizzes
- Presentations
- Not so easy ones:
- Group discussion
- Collaborative whiteboard activities
- Students to create resources
- Group projects
To mix or not to mix?
But the ultimate question for hybrid concurrent teaching might be: whether I should mix the on-site and online students in groups? Well, I have asked the same question to myself.
Of course, you want to provide an equal learning experience for online and face-to-face students. In addition to asking everyone to join Zoom with the camera on and a headset, you want to mix them in groups in group activities. However, MEA strongly suggests we not do that. They even write that in BOLD in their guide. That is to avoid technical issues such as audio feedback.
I have not done such a test with everyone joining Zoom with a headset in one room. I guess things can get messy in a classroom with students' laptops, your mic, and the classroom speakers. Maybe it is better not to try mixing the face-to-face and online students and follow the MEA guide.
What is your experience?
What have you experienced in your hybrid concurrent teaching? What worked and what did not? What you are going to change in your teaching? Please leave a reply or share your story with us.
