Adapting to hybrid learning

As we make our way— slowly but surely— back to campus, there is a sense of routine and possibly an end in sight to the world we have known for a year and a half. Many staff and students are getting the opportunity to have a “physical” education and workplace. On the other hand, most students continue their education online for the second year in a row.

For the school of journalism staff, the prospect of students returning to campus created a new series of obstacles that needed solutions. Most importantly, the physical creation of the “hybrid class.”

One of the more challenging parts for news media and production specialist Angela Glover was creating an equal environment for those learning online.

"Making sure the people who are virtual can hear, can see, can have as much of the kind of real class experience," she said. "And then the people who are live in front of you, that they can see the people who are online, that they can hear the instructor because we're all talking with masks on. Just to make sure that it's an equal experience on both ends."

Compared to last year, news media production specialist Daniela Olariu says how she manages her time has changed.

"In terms of tech work, I'm definitely busier than before because we are providing tech support online and on campus," she said. "When I'm on campus, I'm more hands-on with equipment now. And we have classes using our facilities, so I have to stay on top of that and make sure everything runs smoothly."

Due to COVID-19 protocols, most j-school tech staff come to campus one or two days of the week. This creates the extra task of creating a flexible tech setup.

"We've had to adapt the equipment based on the space and the needs of that instructor and the model that they're using for teaching," says Lindsay Hanna, the school's instructional technology and web design specialist. "So... not that it was a surprise, because I believe in our team, but watching everybody adapt to all of these different situations has been a really successful thing to me."

For academic and outreach coordinator Bev Petrovic, she feels that the improvement of students’ mental health makes being on campus worthwhile.

“I think the sense of normality, as much as possible, helps. Socializing with your peers again,” she said. “I know mental health has been a huge challenge over the last little bit, and I think getting back to whatever ‘normal’ is, is a huge step in mental health and physical health.”

Despite some of the challenges that the tech and admin staff have had to solve, the one positive is clear: people are returning to campus.

"I missed students, I missed my colleagues, I missed seeing people in person," says Glover with a smile behind her mask. "So I was thrilled to be back in class again, to see students and to have that dynamic back."