HyFlex learning (face-to-face + Zoom) offers great flexibility for our students. However, creating a truly engaging learning experience for both in-person and online students in a large unit like Microbes, Infection and Immunity (MIMI2X02, MEDS2004) with 700-800 students presented a real challenge. We knew we needed a solution beyond simply making the workshop accessible via Zoom. If we focus solely on one cohort, the other inevitably becomes passive. Trying to relay messages between the two classrooms requires repetition and can disrupt the flow of learning.
Here we outline a successful approach that we have developed for engaging both online and in-person students in our microbiology and immunology workshops, using a combination of relevant career insights and a friendly dose of competition. We will share our technical setup and describe the engaging activities we’ve implemented – including a “Career Window” segment – which incentivise live attendance and foster active participation for all students, regardless of their location.
We’ve received a lot of positive feedback from students through the unit of study survey and informal interactions about these straightforward-to-implement approaches. With the hope of helping other educators create equally dynamic and engaging HyFlex experiences, we are excited to share what we’ve learned.
The setup
- Two hosts: One dedicated to the Zoom participants and the other to the in-person audience. This allows for seamless communication and ensures both groups feel acknowledged and included.
- Static and roaming microphones: Two roaming mics (RODE Wireless GO II) enable clear communication between the in-person and online students, fostering a sense of shared presence and facilitating natural interaction. Additionally, one lectern mic should be in place so the face-to-face speaker speakers can be heard clearly in the physical venue. Special thanks to Chris Hammang for assistance with the roaming mic setup.
- Dual device desk space: A large desk or two desks are needed to accommodate two devices, both connected to the Zoom session. The room host’s device is used for screen and audio sharing and the Zoom host’s for monitoring the online participants and chat.
- Optimal room setup: If available, rooms equipped with ceiling microphones are ideal for hybrid setups, though these can be difficult to book.
Key elements of engagement
Career window
A key element of our workshops is the inclusion of a “Career Window,” a short (around 10-minute) segment designed to bridge our teaching materials to real-world careers and put students in the mindset of connecting what they are learning to their future career plans.
This semester, for instance, we invited Professor Martina Sanderson-Smith, a leader in the StrepA Outbreak Prevention Team and winner of the 2024 Eureka Prize for Infectious Diseases Research, to speak during our respiratory pathogens workshop. In another workshop focused on immunology, we hosted Dr. Navneet Singh, a postdoctoral fellow from one of the unit coordinators’ immunology lab, who shared their career trajectory and experiences.
This brief segment was observed to boost student engagement, with a flurry of questions both in the room and on Zoom during the Q&A time, as students were eager to learn about relevant skills and potential career paths. We achieve this by tapping into our professional network, inviting speakers who can share course-relevant insights from their work. Invitees are generally happy to contribute given the minimal time commitment (10-15 minutes, via Zoom or in person).
This approach works especially well in our HyFlex environment. With our dedicated hosts and roving microphones, speakers can participate seamlessly from either online or in-person, speaking into a mic that directly connects to the Zoom session and can be heard clearly in the room. During the Q&A, speakers from both online and in-person locations can interact directly via speech with students, ensuring both parties feel engaged. For future semesters, we also plan to invite teaching academics from within the same discipline to showcase available unit offerings.
One hiccup that we have experienced with involved inviting external speakers. Standard Zoom sessions are often configured to only allow University account holders. Ensure you create a Zoom link that accommodates external guests! Testing the multiple roving microphones and ensuring they are charged is also crucial.
Jeopardy in action
Another technically simple yet highly effective engagement activity that we have introduced is a custom-made Jeopardy game. Using a readily available PowerPoint template (plenty of templates are online; a tidied-up version adapted for university teaching can be provided), we created a Jeopardy board with categories related to unit content.
Students are divided into two teams: the “Roomies” (in-person) and the “Zoomies” (online). Teams take turns selecting a category and point value. Upon question reveal, the nominating team has a mere 5 seconds to answer. This rapid-fire format encourages quick recall and solid understanding of course material, making it difficult for Google searches or AI assistance. If the nominating team fails to provide the correct answer within the time limit, the other team has an opportunity to steal. Points are tallied secretly, adding an element of surprise until the final question. We also incorporate “Double Jeopardy” (double point values) rounds for added excitement.
Game mechanics: Students “buzz in” by typing their answers in the Zoom chat (online students get a 1-second grace period to account for latency) or by raising their hands in the classroom (in-person students are given a roving mic). The Zoom host acknowledges correct answers to the room, while the PowerPoint, screen-shared by the room host with sound effects, displays the questions and answers, just like the game show.
Question design: Questions are categorised into four topics and four levels of difficulty, designed as short-answer questions answerable in a few words or less. This avoids the guesswork associated with multiple-choice questions and encourages deeper understanding. AI tools, including the steerable Cogniti agents, can be helpful in generating and categorising questions. Difficulties roughly align with Bloom’s Taxonomy, from recall questions at the $200 level to application and synthesis questions at the $800 level. Important consideration: Keep questions concise to accommodate the timed element of the game.
Example questions
| Difficulty | Point Value | Question | Solution | Bloom’s Level | Reasoning |
| Easy | $200 | A minor infection of the hair follicles often caused by Staphylococcus aureus. | “folliculitis” | Remembering | Simple recall of a definition. |
| Medium | $400-600 | This key adaptation allows dermatophytes to thrive in keratinised tissue. | “Their ability to secrete enzymes that degrade keratin” | Understanding | Links a process to a function. |
| Hard | $800 | A patient with a burn injury develops a bacterial skin infection. How may burn injuries increase susceptibility to skin infections? | Briefly, disrupted integrity of the stratum corneum, the primary physical barrier, may lead to pathogen access to deeper tissues. There are other correct answers! | Analysing/Applying | Applies knowledge to explain a situation. |
Variations and adaptations: In our implementation, a 16-question game with discussion takes approximately 15 minutes. Depending on available time and the level of competition, consider adding another category or an “ultra-hard” difficulty level where both teams can buzz in simultaneously.
Impact on student engagement
The impact of incorporating these elements into our workshops has been significant. Students have shown increased engagement, evidenced by the nail-biting finishes to our Jeopardy games and the numerous requests for rematches made in-person to us. We also observed in subsequent games an increase in strategic thinking in both groups, with in-person students spontaneously forming discussion groups, and the Zoom chat buzzing with activity during the answering rounds—underscoring the need for a dedicated Zoom host. This suggests a deeper investment in the learning material and the activity itself, which is exactly the kind of impact we hoped to achieve.
This interactive approach, combining the Career Window and Jeopardy game, has been designed to support several key learning outcomes:
- Knowledge recall and application: The Jeopardy game actively reinforces core concepts, encouraging students to apply their knowledge in a fast-paced, competitive environment.
- Critical thinking and problem solving: Students develop their critical thinking skills through analysing questions, formulating answers under pressure, and working collaboratively with their teams.
- Communication and collaboration: The team-based format promotes communication and collaboration between students, fostering a sense of shared purpose and active participation, whether online or in person.
- Career awareness: The Career Window expands students’ understanding of career pathways in microbiology and immunology, providing invaluable insights from professionals in the field that connect the course content to real world situations.
While existing clicker systems like Socrative and Mentimeter offer valuable tools for assessment and interaction, the competitive element of Jeopardy introduces an additional layer of excitement and engagement. Platforms like Kahoot! provide competition modes, but they can be more complex to set up and may require a subscription.
In contrast, our simple PowerPoint-based Jeopardy game is not only easy to implement and customise, but also provides an engaging way for students to actively interact with the unit content. The combination of readily available technology, gamification, and relevant career insights is what makes this approach so effective, creating dynamic and fun hybrid learning experiences for all.
