Tech Set up for Hybrid FMT 117
Description
Course: FMT117 Introduction to Cinematography
Modality: Hybrid
General approach: This is an 8-week Hybrid using MAO course that is very hands-on with an occupational designation that meets one day a week on Wednesday from 10:30 am – 2:50 pm. Students can choose to attend class in person or live online through Zoom. Students are required to attend the first week of class in person. Students are encouraged to make this their default method for attendance. A note was made in the syllabus stating that, “attending class in person is the best option and offers the best path to success.”
Equipment
- MacBook Pro laptop
- USB dongle
- Canon XA40 camera
- Atem Mini Pro switcher
- Wireless lavalier microphone
- Focusrite Scarlett Audio Interface
Programs
- Zoom
- Google Drive
- Kahoot!
Reflection
I conducted anonymous surveys in FMT117 Introduction to Cinematography to gather the students’ perspectives on Multiple Attendance Option (MAO). A total of 14 students completed the survey on Week One (1/18/2023) of the course, while 13 students completed the survey on Week Eight (3/8/2023), the last day of class. These surveys generated interesting results, but due to space, I have only two below.
When the Week One survey asked, “Which Multiple Attendance Option (MAO) will you use the most?” 13 out of 14 students responded that they would attend “In Person”. Only one student responded, “50/50 In Person and Live Online”, while no one responded exclusively “Live Online” (see below). This was a good indicator of what was to come. Three students took advantage of the MAO on three separate occasions during the 8-week course. One on week 2, another on week 7, and another on week 8. When the Week Two survey asked, “If you did attend online, why did you do so?” Below were the responses:
- To save money on gas.
- I had to attend online because I was not feeling well and did not want to compromise the health of other students.
- I did due to having Covid and it was nice so I didn’t miss any class.
What worked?
Overall, the In Person and Live Online MAO components worked well. Mainly the research question I was attempting to answer was if MAO is a good choice for this hands-on occupational course. Though the sample size was small, some insights were gleaned from the data. The MAO option in this course works for students that may be sick and unable to attend in person. Two students had this happen, while one student saw it as a convenience to save on gas.
What can be improved?
Based on the data above, MAO is less than an ideal choice for this course. There may be courses in our occupational track that may benefit more from MAO, but a preflight test should be performed to get a sense of the efficacy of this MAO intervention. What is promising is the use of surveys when considering using MAO for your course. For example, when the Week One survey asked, “Which Multiple Attendance Option (MAO) will you use the most?” 93 percent of students responded that they would attend “In Person”. This was in fact the case. Using this question, or others like it, will be beneficial when considering using MAO.
Contributor
For more information, contact Roberto Gudino (Scottsdale Community College) roberto.gudino@scottsdalecc.edu
