Hybrid Courses: What's Online and What's Not?
Deciding what should be online and what's face-to-face (or virtual) is one of the hardest questions about hybrid courses. There are lots of models out there, and deciding what works for your class is often based as much on the content and your approach as the schedule.
Contact Educational Technology, and set up a time to consult with us on how best to set up your class.
Models
Below are some examples of how a hybrid can be set up:
- Flipped classroom - Content for the class is delivered during the online portion of the class, via recorded lectures, videos, and readings. In-class (virtual, or in a classroom) time is used for discussions, group work, and highly interactive class activities. This model is particularly effective when the goal is shared knowledge construction by students, as it optimizes for interaction between the class members.
- Flipped, with a lab - This is a common approach with lab science classes. Content is delivered as above. Lab time is spent doing hands-on work in the physical facility, or using a virtual lab software (if we can't be on campus).
- Online interaction, face-to-face lecture - Interaction and activities, such as discussions, response papers, and quizzes occur in the online portion of the class. Content is delivered during the live sessions, whether they are face-to-face or via conferencing tools. This approach can be used in content-intensive classes, especially if there are few online video or text resources available.
Bridging online and face-to-face
Another common challenge is helping students link the activities online with the activities in the face-to-face portion of the class. This is particularly true with hybrids that replace a few days in the middle of the week (e.g. T-Th hybrids). There are two complementary approaches to addressing this:
- Be clear about expectations with students, especially about the online work. Students often don't have experience with online class activities. Some coaching from you will pay significant benefits.
- Design as if this is an online course. Approach the class as if it's an online class with some face-to-face time. Build in the engagement strategies, structure, and support that online courses use, as those are designed to help students be successful when there's no real-time interaction. (We get into this a lot more throughout this course).
Scheduling
At Highline, hybrid courses are typically delivered in one of two styles:
- Once a week, for instance with face-to-face meetings on a Monday night or a Saturday morning, and all other activities online.
- Split time during a week, for instance with face-to-face meetings on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and online activities in between.
In planning activities, keep in mind that the main reason students take hybrid classes is for schedule flexibility. For instance, they may have work or family responsibilities on the days when they are not in class. For this reason, daily deadlines can be very challenging for students. Try to set up scheduling so that students have flexibility as they move from day to day.
If your approach to the class includes online interactions between the students, keep in mind that it takes longer for online interactions to reach a conclusion. Again, looking at how online classes manage interaction can help. (More on this as we go through the Advanced Canvas course).