What are Technology Copilots?
Technology Copilots assist instructors in hybrid or synchronous remote courses to facilitate students’ participation.
The Technology Copilot helps the instructor set up the audio-visual equipment in the classroom and connect it to Zoom before class begins, assists with technologies during class (camera management, chat monitoring, breakout rooms, etc). This partnership allows the instructor to focus on teaching.
Typically, a copilot will be paired with an instructor for the entire semester, to create consistency for the students and allow a personalized service.
We provide assistance with
- Zoom
- Facilitating remote students' participation in class
- Operating classroom audio-visual technologies
Who is eligible for the Copilot program?
Technology copilots are provided as a common good service for academic courses at no cost. All instructors (from professors to TAs who teach recitations) can request assistance from the copilot program, provided that their course is taking place either in a hybrid-capable classroom with some students joining remotely, or entirely on Zoom. OIT has a few dozen Technology Copilots available to be assigned to hybrid or remote classes.
Technology Copilot training is also available to Teaching Assistants, Learning Assistants, student volunteers, or others who assist faculty members in the classroom. An online community of Technology Copilots is available for asking questions and sharing best practices.
Instructors are encouraged to get acquainted with the features of Zoom and hybrid-capable classroom technologies (large lecture halls and remote-capable classrooms). We recommend that instructors meet with their copilots before the first day of classes in the classroom to see the technology in-person and make a plan about their specific classroom activities.
Terms of Service
Please allow up to 2 business days to find whether a copilot is available for your course, and give us at least 24 hour notice for scheduling changes.
Copilot training
Our team has a self-paced Canvas course set up for training on:
- Remote-capable classrooms (RCC) and using the Crestron Mercury X audio/video conferencing system which is installed in every RCC
- Using the technologies in large lecture halls to connect to Zoom and allow remote student participation
- Facilitating the participation of remote students who join Hybrid courses through Zoom
Anyone who wants to perform a Technology Copilot role or teaches a Hybrid or synchronous remote course is welcome to enroll into this Canvas course! Beyond the initial training, it is meant to be a space where best practices and tips can be shared as we all learn these new teaching modalities.
You can also send the following link to your Teaching Assistant, Learning Assistant, or student volunteer, and they can use it to self-enroll (learn how to self-enroll to a Canvas course): https://canvas.colorado.edu/enroll/TK4WN3.
Contact us
You can reach us at oitcopilots@colorado.edu.
FAQs
How do I request a Technology Copilot?
Fill out the Technology Copilot Request form and our team will be in touch if we have a Copilot available.
How do I request Copilot training for my TA?
Your TA can self-enroll for technology copilot training in Canvas.
I don’t need a Copilot for the entire semester. Can I just request for a Copilot on specific days?
We believe that having a copilot for the entire semester is best for student engagement, and are able to support both hybrid and completely remote classes. That said, you can absolutely fill out the Technology Copilot Request form and specify which days you'd like to have a Copilot present.
For one-time help with operating classroom technology, please reach out to the Classroom Support team.
How does the technology in the classroom work?
Please see the OIT help pages about large lecture halls and about the new remote-capable classrooms that were installed in 2020.
How do I get help using Zoom?
Visit OIT's Zoom Help page for tutorials and support.
Can I get training on classroom technologies and Zoom?
Visit the Academic Technology Trainings page to sign up for scheduled training webinars or watch recorded training videos on-demand.
