Introducing Hyper Class!

What is it?

Hyper Class is a groundbreaking new way to present English lessons online. It drives student engagement and simulates immersive language learning experiences for remote students.

Hyper Class uses open broadcast software (OBS) that connects to the EF Classroom so that we can present lessons in an up close and personal kind of way. This technology puts the teacher literally in the lesson, creating a more engaging kind of presentation but also the ability to imitate real life scenarios, like riding in a taxi or ordering at a restaurant.

Why Hyper Class?

Great question! Hyper Class super-powers the EF Classroom experience. First of all, it provides for a new level of engagement that we've never seen before. As teachers harness that engagement, it allows them to draw their students in so that effective learning can take place. It offers a reinvigorated learning experience that will engage your students on a completely different level. Hyper Class is a tool to give you a foot up when it comes to capturing their attention and showing them that learning English can be fun and relative to their day-to-day life.

Additionally, at EF, we believe that the days of just sharing a webcam and a slide will soon be behind us. Following in the footsteps of online streamers, online teachers and presenters are using new software like this to deliver presentations and lessons in a more compelling way. When learning to deliver Hyper Class lessons, you are upskilling yourself and setting yourself up as a leader in using technology to make online education even more engaging to remote learners. As you learn to deliver lessons using this open broadcast software, you can be better able to market yourself as an online teacher, both immediately and long term in the field of online ESL.

So far, we have found that students enjoy the Hyper Class experience and want more! Since we piloted Hyper Class with pioneer teachers, we have seen an increase in repeat bookings from students. Some corporate students and the businesses they work for are even requiring Hyper Class to be their PL classroom as a condition of taking lessons in the future. As teachers, we know you want to go where the students are, and Hyper Class is the direction they are headed!

Hyper Class is the path EF and EF students are on and we want it to be the same for you!

How to get involved!

Are you ready to get in on the action?! The opportunity is ready and waiting for you right now. If you would like to start the process of becoming a Hyper Class teacher, here is what you need to get started:

The right equipment

Hyper Class does require a certain system configuration, details of which can be found here. EF is continuing to scale the technology to make it more accessible, but making sure your equipment matches that in the link will enable you to get involved as soon as possible. Hyper Class is built on advanced online presentation tools which require advanced processing power. Ensuring your device meets these minimum specifications will result in an excellent student and teacher experience. Hyper Class also requires you to have certain peripherals such as a good-quality webcam, a selfie light, and a greenscreen.

We know that not everyone will have the necessary device and peripherals to begin with right away. It may require additional resources which you want to purchase, and this could take a short while for you to arrange. We understand. Whether you already have, or plan to get, the necessary equipment - we still want to hear from you if you are interested in being a part of Hyper Class! Just submit a Hyper Class Academic case to let us know.

The right preparation

While Hyper Class is an exciting new way of presenting, it does require teachers to learn some new technological skills. This is part of what makes it an upskilling experience. But it isn't for the faint of heart. You will learn a new interface and new troubleshooting techniques. But we are here for you along the way.

Our EF Teach Online team have put together a program that will introduce you to the Hyper Class technology, how to set it up, and use the tools of OBS. Furthermore, we have a support team set up to help you practice your new skills before you begin using the Hyper Class with our students. The introduction combines asynchronous tasks with live support sessions. In total, it typically takes about nine hours to go through everything before most teachers feel ready to teach Hyper Class.

We have already had dozens of teachers go through this process to help test it out. We would like to thank those who have not only completed the process and started teaching Hyper Class lessons, but also provided feedback so that we can continue to improve the process going forward.