Are you considering hybrid teaching at City? Or are you currently teaching on a course that uses City’s hybrid technology (ISLA) [Inclusive Synchronous Learning Activities]? If either of these are the case then you might be aware of City’s Co-pilots and what they can offer you, your students and your course in general.
To put it simply, Co-pilots are students or graduates who, outside of their own classes, support hybrid sessions in-person to assist teaching staff and ensure that every participating student can engage with their remote or in-person peers.
The current batch of Co-pilots have had a busy 2023/2024 academic year helping facilitate over 40 hours a week of hybrid teaching throughout City’s different schools and campuses. They have had praise heaped upon them by teaching staff who say that without the Co-pilots they simply couldn’t have made it through the academic year.
One academic remarked: ‘the co-pilots are awesome. They are so good with the tech and are really a lot of help! Thanks for the great job!’
So how do you request Co-pilots for your course?
If you are teaching a City recognised hybrid course then you already qualify for Co-pilot support. Co-pilots come out of a central budget and therefore don’t cost you or your department anything.
Co-pilot request forms are sent to course offices and heads of programmes before the start of each term so LEaD can review the demand and plan accordingly. It is best to book either via this form sent out to key contacts or contact the LEaD Co-pilot email itself at Copilots@city.ac.uk. Ad-hoc requests can be made to the Co-pilot email address; however, it cannot be guaranteed that Co-pilot support can be found.
The contact who made the Co-pilot support request will then receive an email as soon as possible with confirmation of the sessions where support has been requested, and the contact information of the Co-pilot.
How does it work with a Co-pilot?
You will receive your Co-pilot’s name and email when your booking has been confirmed and sent out to the contact who liaises with the Co-pilot Co-ordinator in LEaD. We always encourage staff to get in touch with their Co-pilot, discuss the workings of their class and talk about any specific requirements they may have. It has been found that an academic-Co-pilot relationship that is open and communicative works a lot better for all parties involved.
In order to have a Co-pilot, you must properly understand their role, what they can offer you and what you can expect from them. You can find a more detailed outline of the role of the Co-pilot in the Co-facilitator Agreement, which can be found linked here: Co-facilitator agreement.2023.
Any and all questions about Co-pilots can be sent to the Co-pilot email address at Copilots@city.ac.uk.
If you would like to book Co-pilots for term 1, then please use the following link: https://cityunilondon.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2a90FOeAQbAS0lw
