Improvements to Hybrid Teaching Facilities Project

About the project 

This Hybrid Teaching Facilities project was approved by the University’s COVID-19 Response Silver group in June 2021, to make improvements to around 17-25 shared teaching spaces; and provide additional guidance and support for staff providing hybrid teaching as part of a flexible and inclusive approach.  

The overall aim is to create a positive experience for staff and students, where a number of students may need to study remotely owing to the pandemic.

Project objectives

a.  Improve audio-visual and IT in a selection of Oxford’s teaching spaces.

1. The rooms to be equipped will be decided based on input from Teaching Spaces Co-ordination Group (TSCG), Divisions and Estates. 

2. Equipment will be re-used where possible.

3. The desired specification will take into account accessibility requirements for in-person attendance, ease-of-use for academics, supportability, and long-term benefits for the quality of lecture recordings.

4. The project will cover the purchase of equipment, installation, project management and transition to local support teams.

5. An evaluation will be carried out towards the end of Michaelmas term 2021 on the utilisation of hybrid teaching methods and the upgraded teaching spaces. This information will be used to review whether further rounds of implementation are required in 2022. 

b.  Provide hybrid teaching guidance and standards, via workshops, webinars and one to one support, for further improvements at a departmental level.

Expected benefits

a.  Provide additional support for students who are not able to come into residence, due to travel restrictions – through the provision of remote, hybrid and online teaching. 
b.  Extend the inclusivity and flexibility that have been brought about by the enhanced integration of digital technology beyond the pandemic, for the benefit of all.
c.  Improved audio-visual technology that provides academic staff with confidence that material is being recorded and shared as planned.
d.  Increased opportunities for space sharing, and improved  use of space.

Project progress

The project started by engaging with members of the Teaching Spaces Co-ordination Group, representatives from the Divisions, and other relevant stakeholders such as IT Services, and Estates Services. This group was set up as a working group and the Divisional representatives consulted with departments on rooms to be considered for upgrade. 

The project engaged a preferred supplier of AV equipment, and a site audit was undertaken. Having established the specification of existing equipment, and taking into account local improvements that were already planned/underway, an implementation plan and budget, for c20 rooms, was prepared and agreed. 

A review of the hybrid teaching guidance on the Teaching Remotely webpages, and areas of current best practice, was undertaken by a Learning Designer. Guidance was updated following the review, and a series of workshops were held in September 2021, with advice on the pedagogic side of hybrid teaching.

If you have any questions, please contact the project team at htsproject@it.ox.ac.uk. 

Rooms

The following rooms are being upgraded by the project. This list will be updated as further rooms are confirmed.

The following rooms are being upgraded by the relevant Division, with part-funding from the project.