Since the start of the semester in September, my university has been offering only online-only teaching, due to COVID-19 restrictions.
As the COVID-19 situation in our local region has been improving, the university is now switching to mixed-mode teaching, i.e., some students will continue to attend classes online, while students can apply to attend classes in person.
Teaching classes in person is something I am used to — I would walk around, ask students to answer questions, etc.
I have also gotten the hang of teaching classes online — I would show my slides by sharing my screen, I would read the chat, check if students have raised their hands and have questions, give students online poll questions, etc.
I feel quite confused about how to teach efficiently using mixed-mode teaching, because half of the students could be online, while the other half are in class.
- If I were to walk around and talk to the students in class using a microphone and amplifier, the microphone on my computer could pick up what I am saying, but the webcam will not be able to track me.
- Right now I am considering just being present in the classroom, and teaching online as if there were no face-to-face students in class, while asking the face-to-face students to watch me on their phones or computers. Maybe I could interact with the face-to-face students during the lecture breaks?
What are your suggestions for effective mixed-mode teaching?