AV News
Hybrid Teaching Enhancements to 100 Centrally Timetabled Spaces
The Audio Visual Team have worked hard since June 2020 to enhance the capabilities within on-site, centrally timetabled teaching spaces to address challenges presented by Covid-19 such as capacity issues and remote delivery.
The University has outlined its preferred approach for teaching in 21/22 on the Teaching, Learning and Assessment: Our Preferred Approach 2021/22 page. Hybrid Teaching is neither the preferred nor recommended approach – there are many challenges to teaching to both a physical & remote audience simultaneously (Hybrid Teaching), and you should carefully consider whether this would work for you. However, we acknowledge that there may be situations where teaching on-site with MS Teams (Hybrid Teaching) is the only option to ensure continued access to teaching and learning for your students.
In this context Hybrid Teaching refers to the technological capability, within on-campus teaching spaces, to connect to virtual spaces like Microsoft Teams.
Robert Rose (Systems Specialist & Project Manager) has been leading project work across the University to expand the functionality of Audio-Visual technologies within teaching spaces, in addition to existing project work on the Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Building & the Faculty of Arts development.
Enhanced functionality includes:
- The ability within certain spaces for in-room microphone systems to interact with virtual spaces.
- The ability within certain spaces for customisable ‘webcam’/video options to better interact with virtual spaces.
- Select enhanced spaces designed to offer a better experience for Hybrid Teaching with ceiling microphones and multiple video cameras.
Please note there are still varying levels of technology on-campus, depending on ownership and the type of room. To find out more about suitable spaces for teaching to both a physical & remote audience simultaneously see the AV Services hybrid guidance and Centrally Timetabled Room Information. Unfortunately, there are still spaces with limited Audio-Visual technology, which are unsuitable for hybrid delivery.
Academic Technology, has also published guidance on hybrid teaching delivery along with design advice and things to consider.
Please see the AV Services and Projects webpage for lists of contacts for queries in relation to new hybrid installations, hybrid infrastructure, enhancements to locally owned spaces, and for equipping spaces for hybrid meetings.
For advice or support, please contact us: https://warwick.ac.uk/helpdesk