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Rotation mode

The rotation mode provides another possiblity how you can design your courses in the hybrid semester. This option can also be combined with classroom, online and self-study elements.

The attendance time of the course is divided between two or more student groups so that the lecturer holds all units, but changing student groups are present in the classroom. Students work independently on content that cannot be covered in class.

Due to the shortened time available to students in the classroom, larger parts of the content transfer needs to be shifted to the online part of the course. The students work on content themselves with the help of videos and suitable self-study materials. The in-class lecture can then be used more intensively to clarify questions, carry out practical exercises and promote the exchange between students (= Inverted or Flipped Classroom Model).

The following options are imaginable, for example:  

  • Splitting units:
    During the first 45 minutes of the unit, the first half of the students is present, during the second 45 minutes the second half. The teacher holds the same unit twice in the same room, the student groups change midway.

Example

Two-hour course (= 15 x 90 minutes) with 30 participants, room capacity considering hygienic distance: 17

  • 50 % of the content is taught via lecture casts, assignments, readings
  • 50 % of the content is taught in presence by splitting the class into two groups with 15 participants each

Total time for students: 15 units in presence with 45 minutes each

Total time for teachers: 15 units in presence with 90 minutes each
  • Alternate units:
    The groups alternate in the presence units, e.g. group A is present at appointment 1, group B at appointment 2, group A at appointment 3, ...

Example

Two-hour course (=22,5 contact hours) with 30 participants, room capacity considering hygienic distance: 12

  • 70 % of the content is taught via lecture casts, assignments, readings
  • 30 % of the content is taught in presence by splitting the class into three groups with 10 participants each

Total time for students: 5 x 90 minutes in presence

Total time for teachers: 15 x 90 minutes in presence
  • Block units:
    Students prepare specified thematic blocks in self-study. At the end of each block, there is a presence unit for each student group.

Example

Two-hour course (= 22 hours in presence, partially blocked) with 30 participants, room capacity considering hygienic distance: 17

The course is divided into three thematic blocks, after each block, an on-campus session is offered.

  • Thematic block 1 is conveyed via lecture casts, assignments, readings
  • Sessions in presence:
    • Week 1: Group A + teacher 3 hours in presence
    • Week 2: Group B + teacher 3 hours in presence
  • Same procedure for thematic block 2 und 3
  • Exam in presence:
    • Group A + teacher 2 hours
    • Group B + teacher 2 hours

Total time for students: 11 hours in presence

Total time for teachers: 22 hours in presence
  • Offer of additional units:
    In order to prevent the reduction of the students' attendance hours, additional units are offered in order to split up the group.
Suitable for...
  • Application-related contents and tasks
  • Settings that require a lot of exchange amongst students or between teachers and students
  • Courses for which self-study materials and videos are already available and / or self-study phases are scheduled
Pros
  • Face-to-face exchange between students and / or between students and lecturers is possible
  • Sustainable course planning: An Inverted Classroom / Flipped Classroom design can be implemented in a very similar way in future "normal" semesters
Cons
  • The preparation of well-structured self-study materials is time-consuming.
Requirements (rooms, technology)
  • Additional rooms required when offering additional units.
Challenges with implementation
  • Preparing the students
    This format works best if the students are well prepared for the classroom sessions, hence, it is advisable to include short quizzes at the beginning of the classroom session (e.g. in the form of tasks on LEARN, which are answered via smartphone / laptop). This increases student participation during the face-to-face course unit.
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