WU can only provide support when using the recommended tools. MS Teams or Zoom are currently available for hybrid teaching at WU, the following capacity limits apply:

• MS Teams: 1000 who can participate interactively (write in chat)

• ZOOM: Default 300 participants (write in chat); individual, separate licenses for from 300 - 1000 participants

Information materials on the use of the web conferencing tools MS Teams and Zoom are available. In the event of technical problems, IT-SERVICES provides support.

Students are responsible for the technical equipment they need to participate online in a hybrid course. They are also responsible for their own semester planning to ensure that they can participate in a suitable location, if necessary also actively, e.g. by speaking via microphone.

In principle, all classrooms at WU are suitable for unidirectional hybrid teaching and accordingly there is no special consideration in the planning phase.

Microphones and, if necessary, a webcam for classrooms without a camera (limited availability) can be borrowed from the IT Service Desk in the Teaching Center (TC) for the respective class.

In most cases, only the sound of the teacher is transmitted during these courses, and questions from students in the auditorium cannot usually be heard. Therefore, this format is not suitable for interactive classes, but rather for lectures. Students who participate online can ask questions via chat. Capacity limits are set by the digital tools as well as by the classrooms, if all students could also come to the classroom unit.

Two different kinds of classrooms are available for bidirectional hybrid courses (all are in either the 30 or 60 category):

• With ceiling microphones and tracking cameras: Since WS 2022/23, the following 13 classrooms are so equipped: TC.3.01, TC.3.03, TC.3.05, TC.3.06, TC.3.07, TC.3.08, TC.3.09, TC.3.10, TC.3.11, TC.3.12, TC.3.21, TC.4.05 and TC.5.05.




• With ceiling microphones: Since WS 2022/23, all 30s and 60s classrooms in TC have ceiling microphones.

Ceiling microphones make it possible for online students to hear the input and questions of students in the classroom. Tracking cameras have three different perspectives to choose from, allowing online participating students to see more of the classroom.

Courses that specify “bidirectional hybrid teaching” in the course announcement are preferably booked in suitable bidirectional classrooms. However, in accordance with the usual booking regulations, no preferred times or rooms can be promised.

Yes, this is possible as long as the decision of the format (also for all courses) is made before the beginning of the semester. Then individual course units can also be held online while the course is "hybrid".

In cases of mixed formats and confusion about proper labeling, it is recommended to choose the format that best signals the particular expectations for students, e.g.:

• If all students are not expected to attend on-campus but can attend online, depending on the arrangement hybrid is recommended.

• If it is generally expected that all students are at Campus WU and online participation should be an exception (e.g. at the beginning of the semester for international master’s students residence permit issues), it is recommended to mark the course as a whole as "face-to-face" and to include individual dates with hybrid. The details of participation should then be described in the syllabus and via other possible communication channels.

In any case, planned contact hours cannot be replaced by prepared recordings or self-study phases in this format. Depending on the planned extent, "blended" could be a suitable format in such cases.

Various arrangements are possible for organizing participants to ensure that there are enough places in the classroom. Whatever arrangement is made for participation, it should be communicated in advance (in the syllabus):

• "Rotation procedure": Face-to-face and online participants rotate weekly, e.g. in alphabetical order. This offers you good plannability and variety for the students. However, this variant does not take into account individual restrictions (e.g. care obligations, limited mobility).

• " Preference procedure: Students can register up to a certain point in time whether they would like to attend a course unit (or the course) online or in person.

• "Special procedure": If a certain student group only participates online (e.g. international students) and another only on-campus (e.g. WU students), this can be specified at the beginning. Especially for the on-campus group, the expectations and that there is no flexibility should be clearly communicated in advance.

•  "Open procedure": Students can decide flexibly and at short notice how they would like to participate in the course and do not have to announce this beforehand. With this regulation you leave the mode of participation completely up to the students. This procedure should not be used if the classroom does not have room for all participants for fire safety reasons.

Possible tools for organizing students on WU’s learning platforms:

• Surveys:

  • MyLEARN via Learning Apps

  • Canvas WU via Classic Qizzes/Ungraded survey

• Allocation via groups:

  • MyLEARN via open groups

  • Canvas WU via groups with self sign-up

• Allocation via SC selection:

  • MyLEARN via learning activities/single choice question

  • Canvas WU via Quizzes e.g. Multiple Choice, Matching or Categorisation

• In Canvas WU, the following is possible via Mastery Path:

  • After selecting an option, e.g. "Attend online unit on 25.05", a set of content is automatically unlocked in the online course with or without a deadline, e.g. a discussion forum, an assignment, the link to a Zoom meeting, etc.

As with on-campus, WU Check-in can also be used to check attendance for online participants (this is currently being revised and is expected to be available in the course of 2023). The attendance online can be checked via MS Teams or Zoom. For the purpose of checking attendance, you may also be required to turn on the camera.

Whether students participate actively or passively in a course is - as on-campus - not decisive for fulfilling the attendance requirement.

Yes, however all scheduled courses are to be held synchronously at the announced times and cannot be replaced by recordings ("Lecturecasts"). Recordings and other digital learning materials can be used, for example, to prepare for courses or exams. Likewise, digital tools can be used during course units, e.g. for short surveys.

WU's central learning management systems, Canvas WU or MyLEARN, as well as the Planet eStream media platform can be used to prepare and implement digital learning materials/activities. Instructions for these systems are available in the respective online guides: Canvas WU Guide, MyLEARN Guide, Planet eStream Guide (currently only available in German). An overview of digital tools and didactic suggestions of digitally enriched teaching are provided or addressed in the qualification offers of the Digital Teaching Services.