Mind the Gap: Reimagining an Interactive Programming Course for the Synchronous Hybrid Classroom
This addresses the problem of engagement disparities for students in hybrid learning environments, though it is an incremental adaptation of existing methods.
The paper tackled the challenge of delivering an interactive programming course in a synchronous hybrid classroom by using Slack to equalize participation and a semi-flipped approach to reduce fatigue, resulting in mitigated engagement gaps as reported in student surveys.
COVID-19 has significantly affected universities, forcing many courses to be delivered entirely online. As countries bring the pandemic under control, a potential way to safely resume some face-to-face teaching is the synchronous hybrid classroom, in which physically and remotely attending students are taught simultaneously. This comes with challenges, however, including the risk that remotely attending students perceive a 'gap' between their engagement and that of their physical peers. In this experience report, we describe how an interactive programming course was adapted to hybrid delivery in a way that mitigated this risk. Our solution centred on the use of a professional communication platform - Slack - to equalise participation opportunities and to facilitate peer learning. Furthermore, to mitigate 'Zoom fatigue', we implemented a semi-flipped classroom, covering concepts in videos and using shorter lessons to consolidate them. Finally, we critically reflect on the results of a student survey and our own experiences of implementing the solution.