Organizational conditions

Flexibility in time

Flexibility in time is usually limited by course pace and fixed start and end dates. The format of the course is also crucial, for example if the course in question is governed by agreements with other HEIs or nodes (outsourced training) or if the course is advertised as a certain format, e.g. hybrid. In addition, whether you are teaching a stand-alone course or a program course affects the flexibility options.

When planning education, you need to consider whether the teaching as a whole should be synchronous or asynchronous or perhaps offer a variation.

What are the implications of these choices for participation opportunities for your students?

Flexibility in terms of location

You need to think about where the teaching will take place. What might need to happen on campus and what could happen online? You also need to consider where online students can participate: via learning centers or other institutions? Individually?

The size of the group is also important to consider. What types of classrooms do you have access to? Do you have access to the equipment you need for the pedagogy you wish to use?

Organizational conditions for outsourced training towards learning centres

Running a hybrid course that is partially outsourced to different learning centres often means that more time and resources need to be spent on the organizational conditions.

When two or more organizations are going to collaborate on the planning of rooms and technical conditions, some form of agreement needs to be written. It must take into account the pedagogical needs that you consider to exist in connection with your teaching.

The agreement needs to be detailed enough to allow both the campus organization and the learning center to prepare. For example, to facilitate both students' learning and your work as a teacher, it must be clear

• what kind of rooms are needed with what kind of equipment
• whether you as a teacher want to be able to visit the learning center and teach from there, and if so, who will pay for travel and travel time
• which contact persons/groups, e.g. IT manager and coordinator, are available on campus and at the learning center
• whether there is a mentor at the learning center. The mentor should have the same education as the students, have a role in the organization with which JU collaborates (preferably overall responsibility, e.g. development manager) and should be available at regulated times.

However, being too precise about teaching methods in these agreements can in itself create major restrictions on flexibility in teaching formats. Many learning centers and municipalities/regions that have requested that the training be located on site often have a strong desire for students to be present on their premises at all times. Think carefully about the implications of this for your approach. One piece of advice is to write in relatively general terms and then renegotiate if necessary.

Regular meetings between the JU officers and the local steering groups are very important for good cooperation.

Support functions for distance and hybrid learning

Distance and hybrid learning may require extra support from various support functions. Some things are naturally available on campus and need to be arranged for those studying elsewhere. This applies to information about and access to how your remote students can use:

• libraries
• study counselors
• targeted educational support
• Academic Resource Center
• IT helpdesk
• Student Health Care
• extra math help

The increased need for scheduling support is also particularly important. It is important that pedagogical needs (in addition to the number of students) guide the choice of room. Scheduling also needs to be ready for learning centers in very good time (half a year to a year) if you are to have the opportunity to get the rooms you want.

It is also important to have contact with IT and AV at JU and learning centers (rooms may need to be changed, technology purchased and installed).

In addition, training is needed for teaching staff in teaching in distance/hybrid format and with the rooms and technology involved.