Adapted from Columbia University - Hybrid/HyFlex Teaching & Learning.
If your main duties are to help with the HyFlex classroom, please review these helpful notes. Discuss with your instructor your specific duties ahead of time as not all of these notes may pertain to your duties. If you will not be helping in the HyFlex classroom, these will not apply to you.
Main Duties
There are a lot of moving parts involved with a HyFlex (LiveStream) class! Connecting face-to-face participants together with online participants seamlessly is vital to ensure the best learning experience for students. Your role is to assist the instructor in any way possible to achieve that goal.
Note: You will be required to attend every in-person class/lecture and adhere to the campus-wide Health and Safety requirements.
Below are some ways to support your class. Keep this list handy and use as a checklist prior, during, and after class.
Preparing for Class
- Meet with your professor to determine which virtual classroom/web conferencing technology (MS Teams, or Zoom (not supported by UWindsor)) they will be using and to discuss your specific role, including any obligations for the beginning and end of class and how you are to facilitate questions from online students. Use the Discussion Questions for a Hy-flex TA and Instructor for your first meeting.
- Spend time on your own learning the appropriate virtual classroom technology.
- Visit the classroom in advance and test out equipment.
- Get training for the connected technologies that the instructor may also be using, either by attending workshops or by viewing previously recorded sessions on your own schedule (e.g., PowerPoint, Stream, OneDrive, SharePoint, YuJa Software Capture, AirMedia, Mentimeter, Kahoot, Brightspace – e.g. Discussion boards). Training can be found online at specific technology support pages, through the Office of Open Learning, the Centre for Teaching and Learning or ITS where offered or upon request.
- Ensure you have a portable device with you (e.g., laptop, tablet) and headset to connect to the online class. (Note - make sure your microphone is muted unless you are speaking.)
- Ensure you have proper personal protection (e.g. mask and face shield or goggles).
- Figure out where is the best position for you to physically sit in the class.
- Assist instructor with connection and set up on all technologies (Consult the console document(s), provided by IT Services’ AV support, to ensure you know how it works).
- Arrive to class early to assist with ensuring the audio, video, camera, recordings are working as designed.
- Ensure you have the latest email list of students in the class in the event you need to communicate with them (Check with the instructor or download from Blackboard site if you have access – Grade Center -> Full Grade Center -> Work Offline -> Download -> User Information Only).
During Class
- If needed, prompt instructor to activate the recording, switch the display so all can see, etc.
- Assist instructor to get re-connected on all technologies if anything gets interrupted.
- If problems occur, call ext. 3051 (from the phone in the room) or email avsupport@uwindosr.ca. AV Support is available 8 am – 10 pm.
- Act as a liaison between online students and the live f2f class and continue to monitor throughout entire class for issues.
- Monitor live chat to ensure remote students can get access to activity in the classroom (e.g., f2f questions from the class – type them into the chat and follow-up if questions are unanswered)
- Raise hand to prompt instructor to address online student questions in the chat/hand-raised, etc. to provide online students with same experience as those who are f2f. Translate f2f questions in chat for online students and make sure instructor is prompted to answer them (raise hand).
- Offer just-in-time assistance to online or f2f students (while maintaining 2m physical distancing for f2f students, as per current Public Health regulations) to connect or use various technologies.
- Offer clear directions for using the current technology if students are struggling. (You may need to take 1 or more students into a break-out room to help troubleshoot while not disrupting the class.)
- Check to see if chat is being recorded, where/when applicable. If no recording is occurring as per instructor’s request, check with instructor about instructions for students who miss the session on how they can catch up and communicate as needed.
- Assist with setting up breakout rooms and visit small group activities as they are occurring to ensure students are engaged and connected, have clear instructions, answer questions, or gather feedback for instructor. (Check with your instructor in advance to ensure you are prepared!)
- Assist with in-class assessments (e.g., quizzes, assignments, discussions) as needed to ensure that all students can complete as required. Ensure you check with instructor to be prepared in advance of live session for these types of activities.
- Consider assisting instructor by having a spare related activity that could easily be deployed in the event of an interruption of technology (e.g., have student email list handy and a Google doc activity related to the class that could be sent out with time limits for students to check-in again to resume class.)
- Consider opportunities where students can be assigned/paired with peer buddies (smaller classes like seminars) whereby a f2f student is paired with an online student and they are connected via camera to their buddy. They check to ensure each can contribute where needed (e.g., discussions, chat, polls, etc.). Ensure f2f microphones are muted and headsets are used to reduce audio feedback.
After Class
- Perform sanitization according to public health and university guidelines for shared equipment.
- Follow-up where needed and time allows for unanswered questions, preparations for next class, instructor requests, etc.
- Prepare your equipment for next class to ensure batteries are fresh, devices are working, learn new software, as needed.