Let's Start at the Very Beginning: A Step-By-Step Process for Creating a Hybrid Course
Purpose:
The purpose of this session is to provide a step-by-step process for creating a hybrid course from a traditional course using best practices in online course design for the hybrid course design beginner.
Methods and/or Description of Project:
Hybrid (blended) learning combines the traditional classroom with the online environment. Research has shown that blended learning is more effective in promoting active learning and achieving course outcomes when compared to solely traditional or online classrooms. During this interactive session, participants will be provided a step-by-step process on how to transition a traditionally delivered course to a hybrid (blended) course. This session will consist of review of the pedagogy behind utilizing the hybrid (blended) delivery model, best practices in hybrid course design, and a practical process of how to transition a course to be delivered in the hybrid format. Attendees will complete a session activity to initiate the process of transitioning one of their courses to the hybrid format.
Results/Outcomes:
By definition, a hybrid course reduces face-to-face seat time and provides students the opportunity to pursue additional teaching and learning activities in the online environment. A common mistake of many instructors is to take their face-to-face course and just pile on online assignments, creating a course and a half, without fully integrating the two components. The two components must be integrated into one another to make an effective hybrid approach. To be successful, a hybrid course requires careful redesign.
Conclusions/Relevance to the conference theme:
The use of hybrid (blended) learning models is a growing trend in education that faculty may or may not be fully ready to embrace. Evidence indicates that educators trained with traditional methods may be hesitant to embrace the use of online technology and create an online or hybrid course. In designing an effective course, it is imperative instructors learn how to integrate face-to-face and online components of the course to avoid teaching two parallel, but unconnected courses. It is the intent of this presentation to assist beginner hybrid course designers to develop an effective hybrid course.