Preparation is key to reducing your cognitive load as a teacher so that while you deliver the class you have the space to focus on engaging with students and their learning.

• Visit the room that you will be teaching in and test out the equipment that you will be using.
• If you have colleagues also teaching using a hybrid approach, you might do a test class with each other.
• Book ACU Campus Support for the start or your first class to help get the technology started up.
• Check what equipment is available in the room you have booked and identify what opportunities or constraints exist (e.g., how many monitors are there? Is there a roaming lapel microphone?)

Ensure your students have a clear understanding of what they need to do and what to expect before their first HyFlex session.

• Set up your Zoom/Team room in advance and share this with your students through LEO.
• Explain your expectations for how the sessions will run for the face-to-face and online cohorts.
• Students who will not be in the same physical space as the teacher will have to use their own device. Headsets and headphones are required.
• Share your slides in advance.

A cornerstone of HyFlex teaching is making use of the synchronous contact with your class. Have clear processes for how your students can get involved.

• Create a clear process for managing questions that come through chat in Zoom or MS Teams.
• Invite students to raise their hand in Zoom or Teams if they want to ask a question verbally. This will come through on the room audio.
• Use the wearable microphone and when an in-class student asks a question, repeat it for the online audience.
• Enlist the help of an in-class student if need be, to help facilitate the Q&A and discussion - it’s a fantastic professional practice skill for them.

One of the main challenges with HyFlex teaching is making yourself available for the whole audience. Create a ‘monitor’ role to help let you know when online students want to participate.

• If you don’t have a teaching assistant in the class, ask one of the in-class students to log in to the session on their device.
• Have that student ask you questions that come through the text chat - repeat the question and the name of the person asking if you can.
• The student could also monitor the meeting for raised hands and put their own hand up. When you acknowledge them, they can say “we have a question from name”, and you can then cue that on-line student to switch on their microphone and talk to the session.
• The assistant role is crucial if you only have one screen in your HyFlex room.

Prepare activities that will work with both face-to-face and online cohorts.

Get students reactions by asking them to put up their hands virtually and physically. Share the results with both cohorts.

• Use a tool such as Kahoot for polling which all students can access at the same time. Alternatively, if using Zoom polling or MS Forms, the face-to-face cohort can log in (muted) to the online meeting so that everyone can participate.
• Groupwork can be done in virtual breakout rooms for the online and physically for the face-to-face.

Start with simple activities and try new things as your confidence grows. Explore the below resources if you would like to learn more or read additional information.

• Different hybrid teaching lesson designs and ideas - John Spencer
• Overview of different board types of hybrid teaching, with some tips that can be adapted for ACU – Monash University

• Blended Unit Design
• LEO Guides
• Producing your own videos