Seven Tips for Effective Teaching in a Hybrid Environment

Written by Daniela Karakaci

Education has had to change rapidly over the past two years. The move to a new world of Hybrid Learning was forced upon us faster than anyone could have anticipated. But with change comes new opportunities! There are advantages to enabling students to learn both in-person and remotely. For those learning remotely, the latest research shows that 52% of students prefer Synchronous live classes - a collaborative, real-time classroom discussion or in an online format – rather than asynchronous teaching that allows students to review course content on their own schedules.

The research suggests that this may be because students are now craving interaction following a period of social isolation. But whatever, the reason, blending in-person and remote classes can at first seem a challenge for the teacher. Juggling more technical requirements, alongside balancing communications with online and in-classroom students and integrating traditional teaching elements such as projectors and interactive displays can seem daunting. But don’t worry, by choosing the right technology solutions you can quickly create a positive environment for all your students to learn.

Here are our top seven tips to mastering the new Hybrid Learning environment.

1. Make it easy on yourself

New technology in the classroom or lecture hall should be an enabler to learning, not a distraction to teaching. So, make sure that you choose solutions that have been designed to be intuitive to use. Systems for recording and streaming lessons should work around you and your teaching methods. For example, movement and voice trackers allow cameras to follow you automatically - giving you the freedom to teach in your natural style. Pre-sets enable you to schedule recordings of lectures at a touch of a button. Choose touch screen displays that respond instantly and naturally to your interactions – just like a whiteboard - whether writing, drawing or wiping away text. Ensure that any new technology deployed is intuitive to use to make the most of the investment.

2. It’s all in the detail

With students now studying in a variety of different ways – in-person, viewing remotely or catching up on past recordings – it’s important that information is detailed and clear, however it’s presented.

Consider the size and quality of the images being displayed. For example, if in-person student seating arrangements have been changed for social distancing or to allow recordings of lectures with camera placements, are larger or more displays required?

When a big screen is required, projectors with edge blending capabilities allow images from two or more projectors to match as closely as possible to show one seamless large image to the audience. The feature can also help to seamlessly display content from different sources. For example, mirroring the content from an interactive whiteboard onto a large projector screen can enable everyone in the class to see information clearly. Edge blending can also be useful in ensuring content from devices with different screen aspect ratios can fit onto and be seen clearly on the projected screen.

3. 4K is the future

4K standard technology is rapidly being adopted by education for its visual benefits, so remember to future-proof your purchases. If students are sitting closer to screens or viewing content remotely, 4K displays, projectors and cameras can be used to enhance the clarity and detail of images. This level of visual detail can make an important difference. For example, 4K clarity for medical students can make them feel like they are standing next to the surgeon when remote viewing a procedure and for math and economic students it can ensure that complex data sets and graphs can be easily seen and understood.

4. Collaboration is key

Keeping students engaged is the key to active learning, so make the most of technology to ensure you and your students can collaborate easily. Wireless Presentation Solutions, like Panasonic PressIT and Wolfvision Cynap Pure, are ideal for any learning environment. Sharing a wide range of multimedia content couldn’t be simpler. With the option of these plug and play and fully integrated wireless and dongle free presentation solutions, students and teachers can easily and securely connect and present from their own devices (BYOD) at the touch of button.

5. Record once and build a library of learning content

With the latest lecture capture solutions and video management systems, lessons can be easily captured, edited and posted for students to view at a time convenient to them. This opportunity to review and learn at their own pace has been shown to boost grades. A recent study concluded that when students were given videos instead of conventional teaching, average grades increased from B to B+. When videos were used as well as traditional methods average grades rose from B to A.

Another advantage of creating a learning library of content is that it can be an attractive feature for educational institutions aiming to attract international students that still need access to learning when abroad.

6. Easy access and analysis

Once your content is online, you also need to make sure it is easy for students to find the items they need. To help improve learning and exam performance, ensure your content management system has great indexing and search functionality to allow students to look back and review content at their own pace. In addition, pay close attention to the system’s data analytics capabilities. These are important to help educators spot trends and to continuously improve content, for example, by understanding which methods of teaching are proving popular with students.

7. Reliability matters

Lastly, the technology is only effective when its working, so look for manufacturers that test and publish maintenance-free running hours and continuous operation statistics for their projectors and displays. In addition, for when the technology does occasionally fail, identify suppliers that offer extended warranty periods and fast repair turnaround times.

Looking for Visual Solutions for Education?

In collaboration with its software partners, Panasonic offers ‘glass-to-glass’ technology solutions to support digital learning in a wide range of educational areas.

In theatres and auditoriums, Lecture Capture Solutions can be established quickly and cost effectively. PTZ cameras can be easily installed and controlled remotely by automated systems to give the user more control – removing the need for camera operators. Auto-tracking software, fully integrated into media controls, can follow the lecturer as they teach, delivering flexibility and enabling comfortable viewing for the audience. Maintenance-free 4k projectors, with brightness ranging from 5,000–50,000 lumens, deliver exceptional visual quality, whatever the room or screen size.

In collaborative spaces, interactive multi-touch displays, ranging from 55”-86”, enhance collaborative and active learning through InGlass and Infrared touch technology. For quick and easy content sharing, Panasonic wireless presentation systems enable lecturers and students to bring their own devices and simply present - free from complex cabling and set-ups.

Discover digital solutions for the hybrid world of learning

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Seven Tips for Effective Teaching in a Hybrid Environment

Here are our top seven tips to mastering the new Hybrid Learning environment.

Discover digital solutions for the hybrid world of learning

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