Empowering a First Time Instructor

Shirley Yeung, Faculty of Arts and Science

Shirley needed help setting up classroom technology to support her goal of teaching dual delivery classes.

Tech2U provided Shirley with a video conferencing soundbar that enabled dual-delivery to capture her entire teaching area, allowing for more animated presentations.

“The Tech2U team was really, really crucial in helping me navigate the big unknowns”

Shirley Yeung, a first-time instructor at the University of Toronto, found it overwhelming to navigate through the classroom setting and had anxieties surrounding access to support. These anxieties began impacting her teaching, and eventually raised concerns about the quality of her instruction as the University shifts back to primarily in-person delivery. She wanted to learn about the teaching options available to her, and the options she could make available to her students. This assistant professor wanted to offer her classes in a dual delivery style but was unsure of how to go about setting up a dual environment and who to ask for help. Shirley notes that knowing what was possible was a struggle that Tech2U addressed.

The solution provided to her by the Tech2U team was a piece of technology, the Yamaha CS-700, that allowed her to provide her virtual audience with a view of their instructor as well as the students in the room. The Yamaha setup allowed her slides to be centralized on her primary device and provided her with an optimal microphone to speak to both her in-person and virtual students. Shirley reports that the work of the Tech2U team normalizes accessibility for both the instructor and student. Not only did she receive the support she needed, but that support also resulted in her creating channels of access for students. She strives to create accessible learning environments regardless of who needs it and aims to provide them as a default.

The technological expertise, support, and equipment that the team brings allows students to focus on content and creativity rather than the punitive impacts of missing lectures. Tech2U provided Shirley not only with hands-on technical support, but also a direct contact to go to when in need of any assistance. The University has a multitude of resources that can be complicated to navigate through, especially for a first-time instructor, so Shirley appreciates that Tech2U provides such valuable assistance and support.

If you have similar needs or would like to know more about how Tech2U can best support your teaching, please contact the Tech2U team.