In-Person Classes / All-Online Assignments for Spring 2021 Semester?

[Zeus Bird]

After a fall semester teaching completely online, I will be returning to the classroom this spring for "Hy-Flex" classes.  Colleagues who taught in person at my college in the fall reported poor attendance by students, who want online classes while the administration wants more in-person classes.  For those who experienced similar situations, do you think that classroom assignments of any sort are worth it in non-practicum classrooms this spring?  I am loathe to insist upon classroom attendance at the moment, and our administration is encouraging faculty to be flexible with every student's situation.  Using in-class sessions with formative discussions and exercises to prepare students for subsequent online assignments seems like an attractive option, but I'm concerned I'll be looking at many empty chairs without requiring attendance or having mandatory in-class work.

[marshwiggle]

After a fall semester teaching completely online, I will be returning to the classroom this spring for "Hy-Flex" classes.  Colleagues who taught in person at my college in the fall reported poor attendance by students, who want online classes while the administration wants more in-person classes.  For those who experienced similar situations, do you think that classroom assignments of any sort are worth it in non-practicum classrooms this spring?  I am loathe to insist upon classroom attendance at the moment, and our administration is encouraging faculty to be flexible with every student's situation.  Using in-class sessions with formative discussions and exercises to prepare students for subsequent online assignments seems like an attractive option, but I'm concerned I'll be looking at many empty chairs without requiring attendance or having mandatory in-class work.

This is, in my mind, a stupid situation. They want to imply that in-person has some sort of indefinable benefit, while at the same time implying that it won't harm anyone in any way if they choose not to do that.

Square circles are pretty cool, if somewhat hard to acquire.

[AvidReader]

I have been doing hy-flex all fall and this spring (intro writing course). We were given the option this spring of having half the class attend in person and the other via livestream each day, flipping online/virtual assignments each class day, or of running it like two sections of a hybrid course. I chose the latter, and I prefer it, but I have subbed for teachers doing the former and both can work.

We also have fully online sections, so we have been asked to send students who want fully online classes to those sections. I think this is a good alternative to having every teacher be flexible.

With half attending remotely, the students get more time to ask questions (in person, chat box). But the students online don't really get the same attention as the in-person students. If they are writing thesis statements, even if I have the onliners type options into the box, some don't do it (are they having connection details? Can they not see the chat box? Have they walked away from the computer? Are they stuck? I don't know, and it takes WAY more time to ask--and get a response--than calling on the student in the back of the room and having him or her respond).

So what I have done to compromise is to ask all students to attend on the designated day, and watch videos and do online activities without me (except for email and office hours) on the alternate day. I run the exact same class twice a week, and I have a few empty seats with social distancing. If someone is quarantining (often) or sick (sometimes), the student can come on the opposite day if out of quarantine or better by then. If that won't work because quarantine is long, I let that student--and that student only--attend by video until the time is up. The student doesn't get quite as much attention as an in-class student, but definitely gets more than he or she would in a pack of 15 online students. It has worked pretty well for me.

AR.

[spork]

[. . . ]

and watch videos and do online activities without me (except for email and office hours) on the alternate day.

[. . .]

This might be relevant: https://activelearningps.com/2021/01/20/incentivizing-engagement/.

What I'm seeing: the bottom line is driving the bottom line. At institutions where the "experience" matters more than the "education," the emphasis on in-person classes with remote instruction available "if needed" is a sham for getting students on campus to generate auxiliary revenue. By the end of last semester, we had 25-student classes with only 1-2 students showing up in person. The others were connecting from dorm rooms, workplaces, their parents' homes, etc. Once I had a student connect to class while he was driving his car.

[the_geneticist]

Ugh, what you are describing with "some in person + some remote" where you have to basically put in twice the work compared to just in person or just online sounds like the worst of both worlds.  I hope that when we return to in person instruction that I do NOT have to offer a "remote option" for every single damn class.  I have 40+ labs every quarter.  I'd be OK if a some were designated as "remote" as others as "in person" before students have to register.

[marshwiggle]

Ugh, what you are describing with "some in person + some remote" where you have to basically put in twice the work compared to just in person or just online sounds like the worst of both worlds.  I hope that when we return to in person instruction that I do NOT have to offer a "remote option" for every single damn class.  I have 40+ labs every quarter.  I'd be OK if a some were designated as "remote" as others as "in person" before students have to register.

++++++ I had 13 sections of one in-person lab before. This year, I had about 30% MORE remote.
I REALLY am not looking forward to 15+ in-person sections in the future. Assuming numbers keep rising I'd be happy to keep a bunch of them online, since they went pretty well that way. (And remote was asynchronous, so the numbers didn't really matter since I had TAs for all the grading.)

40+ labs!!!! I feel your pain.

[AvidReader]

This might be relevant: https://activelearningps.com/2021/01/20/incentivizing-engagement/.

Oh, great article! I found this claim especially true: "students [. . .] simply did not do ungraded in-class and out-of-class components of flipped courses. For example, they did not watch videos or complete self-assessment exercises on a weekly basis." My actual activities (journals, etc.) are always graded, but I have added, this spring, low-stakes quizzes on my videos and the readings. They can miss 1 or 2 if they are having a tough time, but if they skip all the remote material, they will barely be able to get C's.

AR.

[marshwiggle]

This might be relevant: https://activelearningps.com/2021/01/20/incentivizing-engagement/.

Oh, great article! I found this claim especially true: "students [. . .] simply did not do ungraded in-class and out-of-class components of flipped courses. For example, they did not watch videos or complete self-assessment exercises on a weekly basis." My actual activities (journals, etc.) are always graded, but I have added, this spring, low-stakes quizzes on my videos and the readings. They can miss 1 or 2 if they are having a tough time, but if they skip all the remote material, they will barely be able to get C's.

AR.

Back in the Stone Age, when I was in first year, chemistry assignments were ungraded. I never did a single one.

[teach_write_research]

Do not require in-person attendance during a pandemic. Absolutely have an alternative option. You do not want to get exposed to COVID because a student disregarded possible symptoms or exposure in order to get their in-person points.

If you end up with one student in the room and everyone else online then the hybrid option served the purpose for that one student.The unexpectedness everyday would be crazy-making for sure, but, health and safety first. If you offer it hybrid and noone shows up that's a message to the administration and let them sort it out.

[the_geneticist]

Do not require in-person attendance during a pandemic. Absolutely have an alternative option. You do not want to get exposed to COVID because a student disregarded possible symptoms or exposure in order to get their in-person points.

If you end up with one student in the room and everyone else online then the hybrid option served the purpose for that one student.The unexpectedness everyday would be crazy-making for sure, but, health and safety first. If you offer it hybrid and noone shows up that's a message to the administration and let them sort it out.

Welp, that's a nice thought.  But I teach lab courses.  The students want to be in-person in lab.  They will show up.  If the admin wants a "hybrid" option for every single one of the 40+ lab sections, then they will have to hire double the TAs. 
My compromise is to offer a handful of "remote only" lab sections, excuse in-person sick students from assignments and/or let them attend the remote sections, and hope that the admin will realize that insisting on a "return to normal" is a very bad plan unless everyone is vaccinated and we have very few active cases.

[mleok]

I have been doing hy-flex all fall and this spring (intro writing course). We were given the option this spring of having half the class attend in person and the other via livestream each day, flipping online/virtual assignments each class day, or of running it like two sections of a hybrid course. I chose the latter, and I prefer it, but I have subbed for teachers doing the former and both can work.

We also have fully online sections, so we have been asked to send students who want fully online classes to those sections. I think this is a good alternative to having every teacher be flexible.

With half attending remotely, the students get more time to ask questions (in person, chat box). But the students online don't really get the same attention as the in-person students. If they are writing thesis statements, even if I have the onliners type options into the box, some don't do it (are they having connection details? Can they not see the chat box? Have they walked away from the computer? Are they stuck? I don't know, and it takes WAY more time to ask--and get a response--than calling on the student in the back of the room and having him or her respond).

So what I have done to compromise is to ask all students to attend on the designated day, and watch videos and do online activities without me (except for email and office hours) on the alternate day. I run the exact same class twice a week, and I have a few empty seats with social distancing. If someone is quarantining (often) or sick (sometimes), the student can come on the opposite day if out of quarantine or better by then. If that won't work because quarantine is long, I let that student--and that student only--attend by video until the time is up. The student doesn't get quite as much attention as an in-class student, but definitely gets more than he or she would in a pack of 15 online students. It has worked pretty well for me.

AR.

Everything I've experienced and seen suggests that it's nearly impossible to create a class in a hybrid format that is comparable to the experience of a fully remote or fully in-person class. In the interest of managing workloads, I think the best solution is to have lectures be delivered remotely and asychronously, and have sections be offered on a section by section level fully remotely or fully in-person, and allow students to attend them flexibly as required (the grading can still be done by the assigned section TA).

[teach_write_research]

Well to be clear I wasn't saying don't be in person. The original post was not about labs or other hands-on courses.

You are awesome and your situation is hard. I hope there are good parts to your day today.

Do not require in-person attendance during a pandemic. Absolutely have an alternative option. You do not want to get exposed to COVID because a student disregarded possible symptoms or exposure in order to get their in-person points.

If you end up with one student in the room and everyone else online then the hybrid option served the purpose for that one student.The unexpectedness everyday would be crazy-making for sure, but, health and safety first. If you offer it hybrid and noone shows up that's a message to the administration and let them sort it out.

Welp, that's a nice thought.  But I teach lab courses.  The students want to be in-person in lab.  They will show up.  If the admin wants a "hybrid" option for every single one of the 40+ lab sections, then they will have to hire double the TAs. 
My compromise is to offer a handful of "remote only" lab sections, excuse in-person sick students from assignments and/or let them attend the remote sections, and hope that the admin will realize that insisting on a "return to normal" is a very bad plan unless everyone is vaccinated and we have very few active cases.

[the_geneticist]

Thanks!  I'm trying to make the best of a pretty lousy situation and create labs that are still challenging and interesting for our students.

I admit I am dreading Fall quarter.  We'll be online for Spring & Summer, but our Administration is committed to a return to all in-person classes in Fall. 
Do we need to be vaccinated?  No one knows!
When can we get vaccinated? Not today!
What about our students?  Who knows!
Social distancing? Masks? Increases cleaning? State-mandated shelter-in-place order?  Bans on large gathering? All petty details!

[AvidReader]

Everything I've experienced and seen suggests that it's nearly impossible to create a class in a hybrid format that is comparable to the experience of a fully remote or fully in-person class. In the interest of managing workloads, I think the best solution is to have lectures be delivered remotely and asychronously, and have sections be offered on a section by section level fully remotely or fully in-person, and allow students to attend them flexibly as required (the grading can still be done by the assigned section TA).

That's really interesting. For most classes I've taught, I think students get the most value out of in-person sessions, next most from hybrid, third most from online synchronous, and least from online asynchronous. This is humanities, and this semester specifically freshman composition. I do lecture asynchronously, but I think the hands-on activities that we do in class are really vital to giving feedback in a timely manner. I've only taught composition, literature, and foreign languages, though, so I don't know how this might apply to more lecture-heavy courses.

AR.

[mleok]

Everything I've experienced and seen suggests that it's nearly impossible to create a class in a hybrid format that is comparable to the experience of a fully remote or fully in-person class. In the interest of managing workloads, I think the best solution is to have lectures be delivered remotely and asychronously, and have sections be offered on a section by section level fully remotely or fully in-person, and allow students to attend them flexibly as required (the grading can still be done by the assigned section TA).

That's really interesting. For most classes I've taught, I think students get the most value out of in-person sessions, next most from hybrid, third most from online synchronous, and least from online asynchronous. This is humanities, and this semester specifically freshman composition. I do lecture asynchronously, but I think the hands-on activities that we do in class are really vital to giving feedback in a timely manner. I've only taught composition, literature, and foreign languages, though, so I don't know how this might apply to more lecture-heavy courses.

AR.

I'm sorry I wasn't clearer. I was trying to say that hybrid is inferior to in-person for students attending in-person, and inferior to online synchronous for students attending remotely, so it is better to have separate sections that are either in-person or online synchronous as opposed hybrid.