how to teach a hybrid course

by Ayana Ruecker 9 min read

Ten useful tips for teaching a hybrid course for the first time

  1. Track group performance outside the classroom. Take advantage of technological tools to do this. For example,...
  2. Review and adapt. Adapt your teaching practice to the specific needs of learners based on immediate results.
  3. Show confidence in the modality in front of learners. Beware of this. The...

Full Answer

How do you introduce a hybrid learning approach to students?

Explain the rationale for using a hybrid learning approach and list the learning benefits (expect some resistance as students are pushed out of their learning comfort zones). Provide an orientation to the technology required in the course and inform students of where to go for additional support.

What is a hybrid course?

In hybrid courses, “the mixture of online and face-to-face activities has no predefined format. The instructor decides which activities will take place online and which will take place face-to-face.” 3 Regardless of the format, hybrid courses have several defining characteristics:

What are the advantages of hybrid learning?

With a hybrid learning format, it is advantageous to have students engage with course content online, leaving more time in class for active learning. In addition to providing students opportunities to engage with the material in meaningful ways and to interact with classmates in their learning community, class time can be used to:

What is a hybrid learning format?

In person and online: What most people think of as a hybrid format is having a combination of online learners and people in a physical room, in person, where you can see them—even if it’s at a distance of six feet, or two meters.

How do you teach hybrid lessons?

Conduct group activities that allow on-site students to work together and remote students to work together, then mix it up by creating smaller hybrid groups. Engagement is about stimulation, to keep your students intellectually stimulated remember to include variation in your lesson plan.

How do teachers prepare for hybrids?

Five Tips for Hybrid/HyFlex Teaching with All Learners in MindCreate community for all. ... Make all course materials and learning experiences accessible. ... Engage all of your students. ... Help students succeed in your version of a hybrid/HyFlex course. ... Know your classroom and set-up early.

How do you explain hybrid learning?

Hybrid learning is where students learn through a mix of in-person and online activities. Students are encouraged to learn from one another in in-class instruction sessions whereas the multimedia shared online enhances and reinforces discussions in class. Hybrid learning is synonymous with blended learning.

How do you teach hybrid and virtual?

3:209:38In Person and Remote at the Same Time? No Problem! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe key idea is that the order through which students move through stations. Doesn't matter breakingMoreThe key idea is that the order through which students move through stations. Doesn't matter breaking your lessons into non-sequential pieces is called horizontal planning.

How do you engage students in a hybrid classroom?

5 ways to engage students in a hybrid classroomProvide the best audiovisual experience possible. A solid technical setup is a must-have. ... Set clear rules and be transparent in communication. ... Assign group work. ... Use polls for learning and feedback. ... Embrace the technology at hand. ... Conclusion.

How do you make hybrid learning fun?

0:478:26Teach In-Class and Online at the Same Time with Fun Activities!YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo here are my top five ways that you can keep your in person and your virtual. Students engaged atMoreSo here are my top five ways that you can keep your in person and your virtual. Students engaged at exactly the same time. First use collaboration. Tools when it comes to collaboration.

What are the 5 elements of hybrid learning?

5 Pillars of Hybrid LearningStructure. A new reform always comes up with new challenges. ... Flexible Instructional Collaboration. All students are not the same, some need regular sessions for doubt clearance and more motivational guidance while others are self-reliant. ... Self-study. ... Two-way feedback. ... Self-direction.

What is the difference between hybrid and online class?

Simply put, an online class is taught entirely online. You are not required to attend in-person learning or labs at any point during the course. A hybrid class incorporates elements of both online and in-person learning. This method is a necessity in some courses like those with a lab component.

What is the purpose of hybrid classes?

Hybrid class is a course that combines traditional, face-to-face “seat time” with some online learning activities. The purpose of a hybrid class is to take advantage of the best features of both online and more traditional forms of learning.

How do you teach students in online and simultaneously?

Student InteractionMake your remote students feel like they're still part of your class even though they're still learning from home. ... Have your in-person and remote learners interact with each other often, via breakout rooms or on apps like Jamboard, Kahoot, or FlipGrid to maintain your classroom community.More items...•

How do you zoom in a hybrid classroom?

5:498:47Zoom setup for hybrid meetings and hybrid teaching (in 5 simple steps)YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBelow i have a separate video about that. It's time to start our hybrid meeting and when you areMoreBelow i have a separate video about that. It's time to start our hybrid meeting and when you are running a hybrid meeting i strongly recommend that you start the meeting from your laptop.

1. Track group performance outside the classroom

Take advantage of technological tools to do this. For example, analytics within your learning management system can be used to identify learners who have not consistently logged on to the platform and to help reinforce with them the importance of the material provided online.

2. Review and adapt

Adapt your teaching practice to the specific needs of learners based on immediate results.

3. Show confidence in the modality in front of learners

The first time you teach a hybrid course, there may be nervousness and concerns that lead you to want to warn the group that it’s your first time with this type of course or that: “It’s new to me, too.” Beware of this.

6. Beware the butterfly effect

It’s normal that, during and after our interactions with the group, we will identify the need to modify elements of our initial planning. Extending deadlines, rearranging topics, changing their duration and more might all be required.

7. Feedback, feedback, feedback

Learners need to know how they are performing and what is expected of them – and this should be delivered not only in face-to-face sessions but also in the asynchronous environment.

8. Open your communication channels

In a hybrid course, learners often have high expectations about the attention they will receive outside class hours. It is advisable to establish communication channels for this purpose − technological support for asynchronous interaction is essential at this point.

9. Ask questions of your students

Be open to feedback from the group about what you could improve in your class. Establish a strategy for receiving their feedback.

Hybrid courses mix in-person and remote participation

At Stanford, hybrid specifically describes a course where some sessions take place in-person and some sessions take place fully online. While the in-person meetings may often include blended teaching elements, hybrid courses mix in-person and remote participation.

What about HyFlex?

Hybrid-Flexible or HyFlex refers to a subset of hybrid courses that emphasize flexibility and student choice. In HyFlex courses, individual students choose how they will participate from session to session.

Hybrid courses have unique accreditation requirements

Stanford's accreditation body, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), considers any course with a single session online as "distance learning," which has separate accreditation requirements. Additionally:

Hybrid courses can be resource-intensive

Because hybrid courses require the expertise, techniques, and tools of traditional or blended courses and fully online courses, they can be particularly resource-intensive. Adapting an existing course into a hybrid format typically takes many iterations over a period of time.

Consider whether a hybrid course is right for you

Considerations around technology tools, classroom resources, teaching team workloads, and accreditation may factor into your decision to offer a hybrid course. If you are considering hybrid teaching, the following questions are good places to start.

Developing a hybrid course

If you have decided that hybrid instruction is a good fit for your students and situation, we recommend the following steps:

How does online interaction reinforce classroom learning?

Online interactions can reinforce or extend those that occur in the classroom and vice versa – Students provide feedback to each other online and then respond to the feedback in face-to-face sessions. Or students finish a discussion online that started in class.

How can class time be used?

In addition to providing students opportunities to engage with the material in meaningful ways and to interact with classmates in their learning community, class time can be used to: Assess student learning more often with classroom assessment techniques.

Why do you have to take a quiz before class?

Requiring students to take an online quiz before attending class can be a source of motivation while providing instant feedback regarding their understanding of the material. Engage all students in discussions – Offering students the opportunity to discuss online accommodates a variety of learning preferences.

Why is technology important in learning?

Technology may better facilitate some types of learning, and class time can be shortened and/or used for activities that better lend themselves to face-to-face interaction. An integrated course model accommodates a wider range of learning styles by offering flexibility, more options for learning, and integration of learning activities ...

Who wrote the book "The Hybrid Course"?

In the words of author Dr. Jay Caulfield, “ This book is written for all who teach, and especially for those who have chosen to teach in a hybrid learning format. It is a practical handbook about outcomes-based practice applied to hybrid design to use when designing and teaching a hybrid course .”.

What is the role of technology in learning?

Caulfield’s work is that technology should be used as a tool to enable engaging, interactive, and student-centered learning environments, not as the focal point of the class or training session.

What is hybrid course?

A hybrid course is much more than just an online course with a face-to-face class session thrown in for good measure . It involves asking, “What is the best way for students to interact with course content, construct knowledge, engage in critical thinking and problem solving?” Purposeful decisions are made by the instructor as to what activities are best included in face-to-face class sessions, and which activities would work well in a virtual environment. The term hybrid, or blended course, signifies a new way of thinking about how to harness the power of technology to promote learning and identify the best strategies to help students master important course concepts. However, it is about more than just teaching an existing course in a new format.

What is blended learning?

Blended learning allows the instructor, or subject matter expert, to select the best environment for each learning activity while also affording the opportunity to also address multiple learning styles 2. In hybrid courses, “the mixture of online and face-to-face activities has no predefined format.

image