Q: Would two-hour classes mean creating further asynchronous material?
Yes. Instructors will still need to maintain the 3 credit hours by creating asynchronous content and maintaining instructor contact hours.
Instructors are asked to think of a single 3-credit course as the equivalent to approximately 100 hours of work. A reduction in the 3h class time to 2hs is not a reduction in the overall number of hours of the course, but rather a reallocation of the hours between synchronous and asynchronous learning. Previously 3-credit courses operated with a 36:64h synchronous: asynchronous ratio. For Fall 2021, instructors are asked to think of their courses as having a 24:76h synchronous: asynchronous ratio.
The 1hr less of synchronous class time per week should be translated into additional asynchronous learning activities to be completed according to the student’s own schedule. Instructors can have students participate in a variety of activities that will facilitate achievement of the course learning outcomes.
Please see the SCTE session on Creating and Enhancing Asynchronous Content.
Q: How will students sign up to attend class in-person?
An attendance survey has been created for instructors to use for the purposes of tracking who will be attending class in-person and who will be joining remotely. This templated survey can be copied into your courses from Canvas Commons.
For more information about how to use this survey in your course, please see our step-by-step guide: Tracking Attendance in the HyFlex Classroom
Q: How will students access the information they need about preparing for the HyFlex classroom?
Information on Learning in the HyFlex Classroom has been added to the syllabus of all courses running in HyFlex for the Fall 2021 term.
Additionally, the CITE Office has added content on HyFlex classroom expectations to their student facing guide, Learning at Schulich. This guide includes links to the Student HyFlex Preparation Guide. For students attending class in the auditorium (W141), there is also a guide on how to use CrowdMics.
Q: Will students need to be fully vaccinated to attend class in-person? Will I need to wear mask while teaching?
As vaccination and masking regulations are coordinated centrally and these issues continue to evolve, please refer to York University’s Better Together FAQ on Vaccines.
Please be advised that white or lighter coloured masks appear to work best with our tracking cameras.
Please contact the Office of the ADA if you have specific concerns about these policies.
Q: Will plexiglass be added in front of the teaching station, so we don’t need to use a facemask?
There are currently no plans to add plexiglass. Adding plexiglass would not affect the mask mandate. As masking regulations are coordinated centrally and these issues continue to evolve, please refer to York University’s Better Together FAQ.
Q: If one instructor is using the same classroom consecutively (back-to-back), can the instructor extend the class time (e.g. to 2.5 h)?
No. Time is needed to allow air exchange between classes.
Q: Can instructors present from their own laptop in the HyFlex classrooms?
Yes. Instructors can bring their own laptop, join the Zoom meeting, and present. The podium computer will need to be connected to the same meeting to ensure all room cameras and mics are available. The HyFlex Learning Support Assistant can assist with this set up.
Q: Can instructors use the blackboard in HyFlex classrooms?
We advise instructors not to use the blackboard in HyFlex classrooms. Because the cameras automatically follow the instructor, it may be hard to get them positioned for students to easily read what’s written on the board. In addition, if an instructor turns their back on the camera to write on the board, it may “lose” the instructor and return to the podium position.
Document cameras along with whiteboards plus dry-erase markers, and notepads plus markers can be found in HyFlex classrooms.
Q: Is every instructor required to teach in person in the fall?
No. Only about 20% of our courses will have an in-person component. Courses scheduled in SSB W141, N109, N105, MB G101, and XLC 106 will have HyFlex sessions.
Q: Do all classes need to be taught in-person? Can some classes be delivered remotely?
Not every class needs to be delivered in-person. If an instructor believes a particular class will work best in a fully remote format, they are encouraged to proceed. Be sure to clearly communicate to students your expectations for attendance and participation at the start of the course via the course syllabus.
Q: Will all classes have a HyFlex set up or are some fully in person?
At the moment there are both HyFlex and a very limited number of fully in-person classes scheduled. The Office of the ADA has notified all instructors of the format of their classes.
Q: Will there be technical support in the classrooms for the entire term?
A trained HyFlex Learning Support Assistant will be available for each class, for the whole class, for the whole term. The assistant will be able to assist with class set up, delivery, administration and wrap-up.
Q: What training opportunities will there be to get familiarized with the technology in the HyFlex classroom?
There are sessions currently scheduled for Fri Aug 27th; Tue Aug 31st; Thu Sep 2nd; Fri Sep 17th; Mon Sep 20th; Fri Sep 24th for the FA21 term. Please contact the CITE office for the sign-up link.
Q: Can we use our own remote controllers / clickers?
There are remote clickers provided in each classroom. You may be able to use your own provided it connects via USB type 2 or 3. Please bring your remote to a scheduled training session to test ahead of classes.
Q: Is there a list of software that is available on podium computers? What if we need to demonstrate specific software tools?
Podium computers have MS O365 suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. If you need to demonstrate specific software, you can present from your own laptop or request the software be installed by contacting askit@yorku.ca.
Q: How do we use presentation mode via Zoom without students seeing my notes and the next slide?
In order to view your presentation notes without sharing them with your in-person or remote audience, you will need to enable use of PowerPoint’s presenter view.
Open PowerPoint in the Left Podium Monitor. On Zoom, in share screen settings, select the option to share your 2nd screen. On the podium control panel, bring the Extended Screen into the Main Display. Start the PowerPoint presentation.
Note that if you’re teaching in G101, N105, N109, you will not be able to share your Zoom gallery with in-person students on the second display with this set up in place.
Q: Where can instructors pick up their lapel mic cover (windscreen) from?
Every instructor teaching in HyFlex will be given their own mic “windscreen” for health and safety purposes. It is expected that you bring your windscreen to each class and place it over the lapel mic. Please pick yours up from Office Services in SSB S030A any time after 8am on Monday morning.
Q: In terms of collaboration, breakout rooms, group work – How can we get students to collaborate? Will there be other rooms available for students to collaborate?
Within the HyFlex classrooms, students can participate in full class discussions. These discussions can take place between in-person and remote students. For short group discussion, we recommend that students be grouped based on modality (in-person or remote). This will avoid some of the complication of students who are in the classroom trying to hear their remote peers over the in-person discussions. For longer group work and discussions, there will be two to three breakout classrooms assigned to each HyFlex classroom that students can use. Instructors will need to leave extra time for students to leave and re-join the physical classroom.
To find out more about the breakout classrooms that you will have access to as well as the audio-visual set up of the HyFlex classroom, please visit our Teaching and Learning in the HyFlex Environment Guide.
Q: How do we ensure we do not unconsciously prioritize in-person students over those joining remotely?
A display directly in front of the teaching podium will show the remote students in the Zoom gallery view.
We recommend you also use the HyFlex Support Assistant as a collaborator to help ensure remote students are “heard” in the class. They can alert instructors to raised hands and chat messages. We will connect instructors with their support assistants shortly.
Please be sure to communicate to students your expectations for remote participation ahead of class and ensure participation is assessed fairly for all students.
Q: I have back-to-back remote and in-person classes. If we have a shared office, will we be given a class or office to use for our remote class?
We will be setting up remote teaching classrooms for on-campus instructors. These rooms will have a webcam on a tripod, lav / lapel mic to capture instructor audio and all the amenities of the standard classroom. Please contact the CITE office if you anticipate needing a remote teaching room.
Q: If no one enrolls for in-person, then by default is the session remote? Is there a minimum enrollment requirement?
If any students are present for an in-person course, you cannot switch to remote.
If absolutely nobody is there in-person, then you may switch to remote. Instructors who wish to teach a remote class from their scheduled classroom are more than welcome to.
Q: As an instructor, am I responsible for communicating health and safety information and enforcing public health guidelines and York protocols in the classroom?
No. Please see the Better Together FAQ on ‘Faculty and Instructors’. Please direct students with questions to the Better Together website.
Q: What if students show up who haven’t signed up?
The Province of Ontario has amended its rules concerning physical distancing for indoor instructional spaces only at the university. Effective September 7, 2021, students will no longer be required to register to attend class in person as this new direction allows for flexible capacity limits and requirements for physical distancing in indoor instructional spaces, such as classrooms, libraries and lab spaces, in combination with vaccination and masking requirements.
The CITE Office has created an optional attendance survey that can be used for an instructor’s own course planning purposes. Please see our step-by-step guide for more information: Tracking Attendance in the HyFlex Classroom
Q: As an instructor, what should I do if I’m concerned that a student is not following safety protocols in my classroom?
Instructors are not responsible for the enforcement of health and safety protocols or distributing separate health and safety materials. Students will be receiving messaging from the Division of Students on this topic. Please do draw your students’ attention to the standardized language in all Schulich course syllabi that includes a statement on health and safety and returning to campus. This statement is designed to help set expectations and remind all participants of the health and safety measures that need to be observed while on campus.
Further information about Dealing with Conflict in the Classroom can be found in the CITE Office’s email communication Returning to Campus this Fall: Important Updates & Resources for Faculty.