Or, are we just underestimating our technological abilities? Image this: You are teaching a hybrid class for the first time and teaching in this hybrid classroom for the first time. You have 20 students in your classroom; 17 additional students who are scattered throughout the world attend your class via Collaborate (a Zoom like meeting tool); Collaborate Ultra is a new technology that has just been rolled out throughout your institution; You have two in-class cameras, a PC and two projector screens, two microphones and a 60-minute orientation. Getting nervous just thinking about it?
How would you fair? I would anticipate a few bumps at the very least, some hiccups and I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a major roadblock. Typically, there is.
The cognitive overload was an anticipated hurdle: who is asking me what from where? Can they see me online? Can they hear me online? This contributed to the first-class nervousness.
But there wasn’t. There wasn’t a roadblock, not a bump and not even a hiccup.
I didn’t teach it, but it was as seamless as any class I have taught or attended. Of course, the level of confidence, preparedness and technical expertise will have a huge impact in the delivery. But, upon speaking with the instructor, she her material both in-class and online was very well prepared. She had average technical skills and was very anxious about how the hybrid class would go.
I was there to assist if anything went wrong with the technology, but nothing did. All students got into the virtual classroom without a hitch. Students were broken into four groups of four, collaborated, then returned to the F2F class to discuss their findings. It was straightforward.
It was awesome.
So, next time you are feeling a bit anxious about using new technology I say go for it, technology is getting intuitive, you’ll be fine.
HKKS Education 