HyFlex and Technology Skills
If you are going to offer a course in a HyFlex format, it is good to start off with the right technical skills. Not only will you need to understand how to use the technology in the "new master classroom" that you should be using, you will also need to be fluent in the following:
- Blackboard: Instructors will need to rely on Blackboard to deliver much of the online content for the HyFlex course. Until the end of 2022, instructors have two choices: Blackboard Ultra and "old" Blackboard. Instructors who plan to offer courses in HyFlex into the future should plan to learn Blackboard Ultra as soon as possible as all courses in "old" Blackboard will have to be transitioned to Ultra by then anyway.
- Panopto: Panopto is Wichita State's video creation and hosting platform. Until May, 2022, it also offers access to free human captioning for videos, so it is worth it to learn how to use Panopto. Those instructors who have yet to learn Panopto can work through a full training program here.
- Zoom: Zoom is a great way to host synchronous classes with your remote students, and when used on conjunction with Panopto through the Zoom-to-Panopto integration, instructors can have an easy and nearly seamless experience taking in-person lectures captured in Zoom directly to the Blackboard classroom.
- Other technologies: There are many other technologies that might be helpful in a HyFlex course. Instructors will probably benefit from investing in a tablet computer for example, and there may be certain applications that would help facilitate the course as well. Keep in mind, however, that any student facing technologies and applications must go through an EIT audit for accessibility before they are incorporated into a class. If you have any doubts about the accessibility of any additional student-facing technology you would like to use, make sure to reach out to the Office of Instructional Resources at OIR@wichita.edu with your questions.
the classroom, Zoom, Panopto at the very least. Good to have tablet skills.