It is possible to make classes hybrid by broadcasting a face-to-face class simultaneously through the Zoom app. Please make sure that the screen does not fall within the shooting range. To prevent audio echo, use Zoom on a laptop or one other device only for the instructor in the classroom.

Regarding images, open files on the instructor’s laptop, etc. and share the screen on Zoom, and the instructor explains within the shooting range of the webcam. Remote students take the class while watching the shared screen. Switch to full screen mode on the laptop, etc. and project it onto the projector screen for onsite students. A laptop is enough for broadcasting online and presentation onsite.

As for audio, in classrooms where webcams were installed, the sound in class can be transmitted to a laptop. Please refer to the manuals of classroom webcam on "Equipment, Facilities" page. In the other classrooms, a laptop with built-in or classroom microphones and speakers is also sufficient. In order for remote students to hear the class, let the laptop microphone, etc. pick up the sound from the classroom speakers. It is advisable to ask remote students whether they can hear the class well at the beginning of each lesson. Remote students can hear onsite students’ talks by using the classroom microphone (disinfect thoroughly when sharing a microphone) or by the instructor repeating it. Connecting the laptop to classroom equipment with an HDMI cable or putting a microphone near the laptop enables the class to hear remote students’ talks from the classroom speakers.

The key points in shooting a video or recording voice are the same as the above 1-1). Shoot the class with the laptop or other device webcam and record the video with the Zoom app during a usual face-to-face class. If an instructor adopts Zoom Cloud Recordings feature to store the class videos, they can save time and trouble for uploading videos. A notification email is sent when the video is available on the cloud storage, and then instruct remote students to access the videos via Zoom link on PandA system. The videos which are recorded with a device or an app other than Zoom should be uploaded to Media Gallery or Resources on PandA system.

Conduct a face-to-face class as usual. Record the class audio with a voice recorder, etc., and upload the audio file to "Resources" on PandA system and the class materials together.

In order to keep a stable audio level, use a classroom microphone and put the voice recorder, etc. near a classroom speaker.

It is only necessary to turn the voice recorder on and off, so it seems the least burdensome for instructors to make their classes hybrid. However, remote students can obtain no visual information in the classroom, for example, they cannot know that the instructor emphasizes the explanation with a pointer. In addition, give an attentive explanation without demonstratives in order for remote students to be easily able to understand by only vocal instructions.

It is recommended to put a laptop about three meters away from the board. A camera with a normal angle of view can capture half of the blackboard (about 4 meters), while a camera with a wide angle of view can capture the whole of the blackboard (about 8 meters). When using a camera with a normal angle of view, please move the position of the laptop according to the area of writing. If an instructor writes large characters on the board, the characters are readable for remote students through Zoom as well as onsite students seated at the back of the classroom.

Use a USB webcam for better images than the built-in camera of the laptop. If your classroom is equipped with a webcam, please use the classroom webcam.

If the HDMI cable cannot be connected due to the location of the laptop, please place the classroom microphone near the laptop's built-in microphone or speakerphone in order to pick up the voice of the remote students.

Even if the image on Zoom is reversed from left to right, remote students can see it normally. If the instructor wants to display it properly, uncheck the Mirror My Video setting at the video settings of Zoom.

The key points of shooting the board are the same as 2-1), and additionally the class can be shot with a camcorder. It is possible to take the board from a wide view with a fixed camcorder, but take care of the visibility of the characters. If an instructor has a shooting assistant such as TA, they can shoot ensuring visibility through appropriate zooming in and out, and shooting direction.

Since this type neither use a webcam nor a camcorder for shooting, take a picture of the writing on the board with a digital camera, etc. and provide the picture as a class material. It is difficult for remote students to understand without an explanation that the picture is used for which part of the lesson. Add a description that the picture is used for which part of the explanation and upload it to "Resources" etc. on PandA system.

Seminar and exercise classes can also be hybridized by live streaming simultaneously with Zoom.

In language exercise or discussion classes, put a laptop on a place where it can shoot the class from a wide view. Switch to Gallery View of remote student thumbnails on Zoom window and output the image to the classroom screen. Then onsite and remote students can participate in a virtual face-to-face class.

In general, if two or more devices connected to Zoom are at the same time in a classroom, it can cause echoes and other sound problems. While avoiding this problem, we have devised a method to realize mixed pairs or groups of classroom and remote students as follows. In a class with a mix of onsite and online students, pairs or groups can be either (1) classroom students only, (2) remote students only, or (3) a mix of classroom and remote students. For (1), as in conventional face-to-face classes, please do not connect to Zoom and let the students talk directly to each other while maintaining the physical distance among them. For (2), you can use breakout room feature of Zoom to divide the students into pairs or groups and have them talk to each other. As for (3), a solution is to limit the number of mixed pairs or groups to one pair or group and divide the others into classroom students only or remote students only, based on the principle that no more than two devices connected to Zoom should be turned on at the same time in a classroom. However, there may be cases where there are multiple mixed pairs or groups for various reasons, such as fixed pairs or groups, or the need to replace them frequently. After forming multiple mixed pairs or groups and moving them into breakout rooms on Zoom, you can have the microphones and speakers of the classroom student on in the case of pairs, or only one of the classroom students in each group in the case of groups. This avoids sound problems. However, it is obvious that the audio of other pairs or groups of students in the classroom may be collected by the Zoom app. Also, have students mute their microphones and speakers before returning to the Zoom meeting room from the breakout room.

In presentation classes, the camera should focus on the speaker if the speaker is an onsite student. If the speaker is a remote student, Zoom closes up the speaker automatically in Active Speaker View. When presenting with slides, share the screen on Zoom and shoot the video at the same time to work for both onsite and remote students. In order for a remote student to share the student’s screen, the instructor has to assign the student a co-host or allow the student to share the screen.

Small classrooms do not have microphones, so the remote students’ audio from the laptop cannot be picked up with a microphone. Therefore, connect the laptop to classroom equipment with an HDMI cable and output the remote students’ audio from the classroom speakers (the projector speaker in some classrooms).

The key points of shooting with a laptop, etc. using Zoom are the same as above 3-1). When shooting with a camcorder, take from a wide view for language exercises and discussion classes, or shoot the speaker in presentation classes, as in 1). Please upload the video to "Media Gallery" on PandA or other video streaming websites.

Record the class audio using a voice recorder, etc., and upload the audio file to Resources on PandA system and the class materials together. In small classrooms, the voice recorder, etc. can record the class audio well from anywhere in the room.

However, due to the characteristics of class style, active participations such as presentations and discussions are generally required in seminar and exercise classes, so it is expected that remote students have problems in taking this type of hybrid class. For example, the remote students have lack of visual information, and this causes a difficulty in specifying the speakers in the class discussion, consequently, they might achieve less than onsite students, even if given supplements. For this reason, HC-type hybrid is not suitable for classes in this model.

We have heard inquiries about the possibility of using a Bluetooth headset replacing classroom microphones as a countermeasure to the COVID-19.

In general, the default setting allows microphone input via Bluetooth headset to the PC (e.g., online students can hear the microphone), but does not allow the microphone audio to be output to the classroom speakers.

This is not a problem if you are only delivering online classes from the classroom, but if you are conducting face-to-face or hyflex classes, it will be difficult for the onsite students to hear your voice without the output from the classroom speakers.

Please be advised how to output the voice via the Bluetooth headset microphone to the classroom speakers as follows. Please also refer to the attached instruction manual.

1. Turn on the main power inside the AV box.

2. Connect the HDMI cable or the audio cable in the AV box to your laptop. Press the "HDMI" button on the matrix switcher if you have connected the HDMI cable, or the "PC" button if you have connected the audio cable.

3. Connect the Bluetooth headset to your laptop. At this point, there may be an echo, so please pay attention to the volume.

4. Right-click on the Sound icon in the taskbar and select "Sounds".

5. On the "Recording" tab, select your Bluetooth headset and click "Properties".

6. In the "Listen" tab, check the "Listen to this device", then "OK".

7. Left-click on the Sound icon in the taskbar this time and select a playback device (=sound output). If you are using the HDMI cable to connect to the classroom speakers, select the matrix switcher (e.g. KSM0601HM2 (Intel Display Audio)). If you are connecting with the audio cable, please select the laptop speaker. Now the classroom speakers will output the microphone audio of the Bluetooth headset.

8. In Zoom, please select a Bluetooth headset for the microphone. For the speakers, if you are connecting via the HDMI cable, please select the matrix switcher. If you are connecting via the audio cable, please select the laptop speakers.