Stream me in! – how students experienced the hybrid classroom
In the autumn semester of 2021, students and teachers at the ZHAW’s Institute of Translation and Interpreting were faced with a new challenge – teaching occurred on-site, but access to the physical classrooms was restricted for some due to COVID-certification requirements or individual health concerns. It was necessary to enable all students to continue following their studies – but how can this be done without compromising the quality of teaching and learning for all students? Would offering a live-stream for lectures and seminars actually work? Morgan Kavanagh and Paul Kelly embarked on a pilot project to offer their first semester grammar course through a variety of channels – on-site, online with live-stream and through pre-recorded lectures. At the end of it, they asked students about their experiences in this hybrid mode. Did the extended offering help the students with their learning, or did it undermine the building of a learning community? Why did students choose to follow online or on-site? What were the advantages and disadvantages of each setting?