Checklist for Teaching in a Pooled Classroom with Hyflex/Hybrid Technology

First considerations

• If using Zoom, we recommend scheduling the Zoom meetings in advance through Canvas. This will ensure the meetings are ready to go for your classes.
• If livestreaming, determine how the meeting will be monitored. Will you be handling questions through chat, or will a TA or AI do this?
• Determine how the camera will be controlled. Will you control the camera from the room PC, or will a TA or AI handle this?

Get familiar with your classroom

Search for your classroom and identify what equipment will be available to you.

We recommend visiting your classrooms before the semester starts and take a few minutes to practice using the classroom equipment. The CTL also provides individual training for instructors and AIs on how to use the classroom systems. To schedule an appointment, contact ctl@wustl.edu or (314) 935-6810.

Room Microphone System

• Ceiling Microphone: Most of the rooms have ceiling microphones. In these rooms, the microphones are ready to record as soon as you power on the room from the touch panel. If students report trouble hearing you in the recording or livestream, wireless microphones are available. Contact the CTL at ctl@wustl.edu or 610-935-6810 to request a wireless microphone for your classroom.
• Wireless Microphones: If your room has a wireless (lavalier) microphone, turn on the microphone and make sure the battery indicator is at least half full. If battery charge is low, replace batteries.
• Ceiling and Wireless Microphones: If your room has both types, feel free to select whichever option works best for you. You may want to start with the Ceiling Microphone, and if students indicate that the recordings are quiet, you could try switching to a Wireless Microphone.
• Audience Microphones: If you are in an auditorium or very large room, there is no ceiling mic systems because they do not function properly with the acoustics of a large space. Your classroom will either have a handheld microphone (McDonnell 162, Busch 100, Brown 100, Brown 118, Wilson 214, Seigle L006, McMillan G052, Louderman 458, Crow 201) or a tossable mic called Catch Box that has a wireless microphone inside it (Wrighton 300, Rebstock 215, Simon 1, Hillman 60, Hillman 70, Steinberg 105).

Room Computer

For the best streaming and recording experience, use the computer in the room.  The microphone(s) and camera(s) are routed into this computer.

Touch Panel

• Power on the room by selecting the “Room PC” under Source on the Touch Panel.
• Make sure the audio is not muted and adjust the microphone volume as needed.

Room Camera

For most of the pooled classrooms, you can check the position of the classroom camera by clicking the “Camera Control” icon on the computer screen. Camera controls can also be accessed remotely by entering the IP address of the camera into a browser while connected to the university VPN. Contact the CTL at at ctl@wustl.edu or 610-935-6810 to obtain the IP address for the camera in your classroom.

• For auditoriums, it is recommended that someone controls the camera from the booth. For TA/AI training on the cameras or help from a CTL staff member, please complete this form.

Prepare to record

MyCanvas: Open a web browser on the computer, login to https://mycanvas.wustl.edu, and open your course.

Livestream and Record using Zoom in our classrooms

• Use this option if you want all students in your course to access the recordings of a class asynchronously and synchronously. Follow these steps:
  1. Create a semester-long re-occurring Zoom session inside your Canvas course utilizing the Zoom module  
  2. Set the zoom class meeting to record to the cloud
  3. Join the Zoom session from the classroom computer.
     • If you have content on the computer, remember to share your screen if you want it to be visible (such as for a PowerPoint presentation).
     • If the room has a Document Camera, you can share it in Zoom by clicking on Share Screen, then the Advanced tab at the top, and finally the “Content from Second Camera” icon. See our video overview for more details.
     • If you have an interactive board, you can also turn this on using the touch panel. See our video overview for a demonstration.
     • You can also bring in your personal device for presentation in the classroom. If you join Zoom on a personal device, be sure to also join Zoom on the classroom PC. Mute the microphone and mute the speakers in Zoom on your personal device as well, or you will experience feedback loops.  For what it looks like to join from a tablet, see this video overview.
• The students viewing synchronously will be able to see the Join link for the Zoom session inside the Course’s  Zoom module, under the scheduled meeting tab 
• The students viewing asynchronously will find a link to the recording inside Course’s Zoom Cloud Recording tab 
• For more information on general Zoom usage, check out WashU IT’s Zoom resource page. 

Recording only

It is recommended that lecture content be recorded and made available for students.

If you only want to record all or some of your classes and only allow student access on an “as need” basis, (i.e. an excused absence), you can use Zoom or Kaltura.

• With Zoom, you can always record a session without any participants. To make sure student do not have access to Zoom links, set up the zoom meeting outside of Canvas using these steps:
  • Log in to Zoom from  https://wustl.zoom.us/.  Click on the Sign in tab and use your WUSTL key to login. You may have to use Duo Mobile if you are off campus. 
    • Once you are logged into Zoom, schedule the meeting and review your settings:
      • Check the “automatically record” box and record to cloud. 
      • Check the “waiting room” option so that students cannot enter the room unless you admit them. 
      • Check the reoccurring box if you want to use this meeting information for every class.  
  • Launch a meeting without any other participants, press “Record”, and set it to “Record to the Cloud”
    • For more information on using Zoom in your classroom, please see the “Livestream and record” section above.
  • The link will be available in your cloud recordings tab in Zoom when ready.  
  • The video will also automatically appear in your Kaltura My Media folder (which only you can see) within any and all of your Canvas courses. If you cannot find Kaltura My Media, you can add it to the navigation.
  • The video can then be shared with students from the Kaltura My Media folder by “publishing” the video to a particular course either as it is or after editing using the Kaltura editor.  

• With Kaltura, you will get a higher recording quality and swappable picture-in-picture display for screen capture and camera capture. After an initial set up, open KalturaCapture on Canvas and click Record. More instructions on how to set up and use Kaltura is available on our Kaltura resource page.  More support for Kaltura can be provided by reaching out to us at ctl@wustl.edu or 314-935-6810.

Finishing Up

End of Class: Be sure to end the recording once class is finished.  Be sure to also log out of Canvas, and Kaltura if you are using it.

Publishing the recording to your course:  Most recordings are usually available to your course within Kaltura in a few minutes.  To publish the recording to your course, check out our Kaltura publishing guide.

COVID-19 protocol

1. Wipe down all equipment with disinfectant wipes, including the computer mouse and keyboard, the Crestron panel face, the lavalier mic, and any other parts of the desktop that you will be using.
2. If you are using a wireless lavalier mic, make sure you have your own personal lavalier mic windscreen and classroom materials, such as chalk, markers, and/or erasers. Put the personal windscreen on the end of the lavalier mic.
3. At the end of your class, sanitize all equipment and surfaces you have used.