Teaching in the Hybrid Classroom

Hybrid classes are live in-person classes with the majority of students in the classroom and some students connected through Zoom.

IE University's Attendance Policy (2022-23) requires students of face-to-face programs to attend class in person. However, in exceptional circumstances, students might be granted permission to study remotely.

As faculty, you will continue to use Zoom for all teaching to transmit and capture the session.

 

About the hybrid classroom setting:

Screens & Displays

Every classroom is equipped with 2 or 3 screens to easily display learning materials and remote students' video feeds. To ensure that remote students can follow your notes, you have to use an electronic whiteboard.

The Classroom Finder specifies technology in each classroom!

Camera & Microphones

The camera, installed opposite to the screens, captures the front of the classroom for video transmission. Careful to not step out of the picture!

Ceiling microphones capture classroom audio.

Know your Zoom!

Everything has to run through Zoom, to allow remote students to participate in class! You need to know how to log on to ZOOM on the classroom computer, how to use the extended screens, the whiteboard, and how to share your materials.

Need more info on your IE Zoom account? Click here

Step-by-step: Setting up in the hybrid classroom

  1. 1

    Open ZOOM desktop app on the classroom computer.

  2. 2

    Sign in with Single Sign On (SSO) using your IE faculty credentials

  3. 3

    Open your class materials (ppt, excel, internet browser with videos) on the classroom computer.

  4. 4

    Start "Screen Share" in ZOOM andn share the classroom desktop.

  5. 5

    Organize what you want to display on each of the screens.

    You can drag & drop ZOOM windows and the menu bar from one to screen to another to organize your preferred interface.

  6. 6

    Sign out of ZOOM at the end of your class.

  7. 7

    Optional: You can bring your own laptop or tablet and connect it to your Zoom meeting as a second device.

    This would allow you to share applications from your own computer, use your laptop as an extra screen or use your tablet as a whiteboard.

Best practice tips for managing class dynamics

1.

CLASS PREPARATION

Don’t be too ambitious about the content you plan to cover. Managing technology will eat up some of your teaching time.

All whiteboarding has to be digital! You can use the built-in Zoom whiteboard or use external apps. If you scribble a lot, you might want to practice.

Include "check-in" slides in your materials, to explicitly pause and balance your attention between face-to-face and remote students.

3.

CLEAR RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

Prepare a slide with the rules for classroom engagement to clearly state them at the beginning of the class. Don't hesitate to repeat them if necessary!

Cold calling on individual students is a more directive style to manage the discussion that allows you to effectively engage students from both audiences.

Remote students can raise their physical hand when they want to speak, just as in the classroom. If only a few students are remote, you encourage them to speak up directly.

5.

SPECIAL SOFTWARE & APPS

There are external applications (e.g. Kahoot, Socrative, PollEverywhere etc.) that professors use for class. In principal, as everything is managed through screen share in Zoom, you can easily incorporate them.

To use special software (e.g. programming software, 3D modelling software) connect your personal computer to the Zoom session and share directly from your PC, using any software that you have installed.

7.

BREAKOUT & GROUP WORK

If you are planning to do breakouts or group work, bear in mind:

  • Avoid increasing the divide by pairing remote and f2f students through.
  • You can reserve group work spaces on campus for longer breakout sessions. Remote students can easily connect.

2.

INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT

Involve both remote and face-to-face students in the same teaching dynamic.

Explicitly take turns in focusing your attention on the video feeds on screen and then on the classroom or vice versa.

Speak loud and clear. Remind students to do the same, and summarize if necessary to support audio transmission.

Careful - if you turn to look at the screen, you are turning your back to EVERYBODY, students in class and remote students.

4.

ROLE PLAY

Role plays work very well in the hybrid classroom setting, and it's a powerful dynamic to connect face-to-face and remote students. You have different options to pair up students for role play:

  • Remote student (speaker view) - face-to-face student (stand up at the front of the room and look into the camera).
  • 2 remote students (speaker view)
  • 2 in class students (stand up at the front of the room)

6.

GUEST SPEAKERS

It´s easy to bring in guest speakers virtually, as everything goes through Zoom! For the next case discussion, maybe you can bring an executive from the company you are analyzing?

IMPORTANT: Ask your program management team, ideally with 10 days notice, to provide you with an IE University guest account for your speaker.

8.

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

Practice screen sharing in Zoom - share a powerpoint presentation, the whiteboard or a video clip.

Find a classroom and practice with your own materials and dynamics.