Hybrid Technologies

Hybrid instruction is typically described as a blend of online and face-to-face instruction. This blend can be mixed in a variety of ways. For example, instructors can choose whether the online portion of the work is synchronous (at the same time) or asynchronous (work fulfilled within a time period, but not necessarily at the same time) or even a mix of both. Synchronous instruction examples are online video conferences or live chats where everyone joins at the same time. Examples of asynchronous instruction are discussion boards or field assignments sent through a learning management system to be fulfilled at different times based on the students’ schedules.

I like to tell instructors that it’s a good idea to get a handle on the technologies used to support hybrid learning before taking the leap into this type of instruction. For example, I started using video lectures and multiple tools on our learning management system in a face-to-face course before taking the jump to a hybrid course where I’ve learned to use a synchronous video conferencing system and online blogs in my curriculum. This helped me to scaffold my own learning in smaller chunks so that teaching a hybrid course that incorporated both synchronous and asynchronous learning wasn’t overwhelming.

In order to help you get a foundation of technologies used for hybrid courses, we have the following resources. 

Tech Tuesdays

Join us every Tuesday at noon to hear a brief technology tip and to ask us questions (usually about 15-20 minutes total).

Click on the following link Tuesdays at noon to join us live: Tech Tuesday link

Or, click here to see past recordings of Tech Tuesday topics: Previous Tech Tuesday recordings

If you need to join by phone or a different method, find out how here: Alternative ways to join

Blackboard: Learning Management System

Learn to use our learning management system as it becomes the central and crucial hub or stepping point for most of the course activities. The following links will give you general Blackboard help, or contact us at blackboard@chapman.edu.

Chapman links with step-by-step directions

YouTube video tutorials

Panopto Lecture Capture

At Chapman, we have a license for Panopto to record both in-class and desktop lectures. Use the following links to find out more about using Panopto.

Description of Panopto from the Panopto website

Using Panopto at Chapman University

Poll Everywhere

Poll Everywhere can help with synchronous and asynchronous polling. To get a taste of what they can do, watch their video here:  Poll Everywhere website video

If you work at Chapman University, you can  access the Poll Everywhere free license. Use this link for the steps: Poll Everywhere login for Chapman faculty

If you want to use it in the classroom, your students will need to register. The following link will lead you to more information on this and other aspects of Poll Everywhere, such as inserting polls in your current presentations: Documentation for different Poll Everywhere use cases

Google Suites

Google is great for collaborative work between students and instructors. Chapman faculty have access to a Google account with unlimited storage. To get more information on what Google can do for you, look at their description of Google Suite for Education: Google Suite Training (from Google)

Edublogs: WordPress-based class blogs

Edublogs are blogs that can be used within a classroom. If you are an instructor at Chapman, you can sign up for your own site here:  Instructor registration for an Edublog site. You can also have your students sign up for sites.

Zoom: Video conferencing

And finally, if you’re interested in launching fully into synchronous video conferencing as your hybrid online course time, look into Zoom: Zoom website video. Chapman has limited Pro licenses, but it’s free to sign up and get initiated through their Basic license at zoom.us.

 

These resources and other resources are available to help you get ready to teach hybrid courses using appropriate technologies. See our previous post about upgrading yourself for even more ideas.