Recommendation for getting started with hybrid teaching

An on-site audience, familiar technology - that's what you were used to before the summer semester of 2020. Then the pandemic created a completely new situation and you were suddenly teaching online, for example via video conferencing software from the office or even from home. With hybrid teaching, you can now combine these two worlds. In addition to opportunities, of course, this also brings new challenges, because both scenarios come with different technical and didactic requirements.

For example, you use different connections in the lecture hall when you live stream or record an event via Zoom. Wiring your own laptop is different than what you're used to. In addition, Zoom has to be operated simultaneously for online transmission. In seminar rooms, no hardware can be provided centrally; instead, you use your own familiar equipment which you bring along yourself. But don't worry, good preparations have been made at KIT to make it as easy as possible for you. With a test beforehand, it will also work for you.

In all cases, the following applies: Familiarize yourself with the situation beforehand and try it out without an audience. Depending on the scenario, you will receive the appropriate support, ranging from centrally provided hardware, instructions and procurement suggestions for individual implementations to personal advice. You will find instructions and further support in the respective formats.

Best Practice

Test on site beforehand: Test at least once in the room beforehand and bring enough time with you to answer the following questions: What connects where? What setting is needed in the media control? Which microphone is the right one in Zoom? When using the system for the first time, you may also need the administrator password on your own device.

For the individual lecture dates, it is strongly recommended to be there well in advance to get everything up and running.

Moderation support and technical assistance: In a livestream, do not lose sight of the students participating online. Keeping everything in view at the same time is extremely challenging. Have staff members or a research assistant assist you in the front row. Alternatively, students in the course can be appointed as community managers for this purpose. This person observes the Zoom meeting on a laptop and can moderate, alert you to questions and comments, or point out technical problems in the broadcast.

Patience and Prudence: We had to work together as KIT to meet the challenges of the Corona pandemic in a short period of time. This worked particularly well because we all handled it with patience and prudence. Now this is required again. The hybrid scenarios require the introduction of new capabilities and a certain amount of improvisation. Problems can always arise, hardware can suddenly not work or behave differently. The media technology in the lecture halls is ready to support you with possibilities not previously operated on this scale, so that hybrid teaching is possible at all. In return, please be patient and understanding if something does not work as desired right away.

Mutual support: Central support is provided through tutorials, webinars and the guides on the website. Unfortunately, individual, short-term support on site in the area cannot be provided from the central side. The responsible persons try to support you, but cannot be in several places at the same time, nor do they have more resources available at short notice. Therefore, there is an intensive communication with multipliers and the faculties. Certainly there are people in your environment at the faculty or institute who are particularly knowledgeable. Please contact them or support other people in your environment with your knowledge and experience.