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Designing & Organizing the Course (read full series)

What is it?

What is it?

A hybrid course is one where a portion of face-to-face instruction and learning activity is replaced by web-based online learning, typically, between 25-75%.  Whereas, an online course is one in which all instruction and learning activities occur online.  Both hybrid and online models differ significantly from traditional courses along three dimensions:

  • Time and flexibility
  • Instructor and student roles
  • Content delivery and student interactions  

Research

Research

There is evidence of the effectiveness of blended and online modalities in terms of student learning and instructor and student satisfaction.  Some argue for its disruptive innovativeness (Linder, 2017)1 or its transformative potential (Garrison & Kanuka, 2004).  The research generally suggests that learning outcomes are as good, if not better, in blended, flipped, hybrid, or online models when compared to traditional courses (Baepler et al., 2014). 

Data

Data

UCD Faculty report that:

  • Administering the same questions on an exam, students in the hybrid course performed much better than those in the traditional course.  The number of As doubled, and the number of Ds and Fs were cut in half.
  • Teaching with technology better prepares students for the workplace (edtech.ucdavis.edu).

Teaching Strategies

  • Prepare for a manageable redesign and set appropriate expectations by realistically evaluating your experience, skills, and motivation for change. 

  • Increase participation and create a course climate of learning and inquiry, by integrating cognitive, social, and teaching presences.  Attention to community increases student sense of belonging.

  • Flip the class design by swapping direct instruction and homework.  Remove some direct instruction from class time and assign it for homework (e.g., using videos or readings).  Adapt homework for in-class or synchronous, interactive activities.

  • Post regular Announcements via Canvas to proactively focus student attention to what is immediately required.

  • Explain to students what it means to be “prepared” for class and what they should be able to do when they come to class.  Whether the material is text or video, students need to know what to look for, how to identify the important parts, and to understand why it matters.

  • Encourage students to ask peers before asking the instructors when they have a question.  Make use of message boards or other tools (e.g., social media) where students can post questions, and everyone can respond.

  • Consider the length of activities for hybrid and online formats. For example, posting on a discussion board should take around 30 minutes and asking students to read/respond to posts on the discussion board should take around 1 hour. Here are more examples on equivalent learning activities.

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Students say ...

Students Say

  • “It really helped save time when my professor posted a FAQ page on Canvas based on previous student questions.”
  • “In my hybrid course, students needed to meet outside of class, at times.  Our instructor used When2Meet to create groups based on our availability.”

Reflection

Reflection

  • Reflect on the way you have organized your course on Canvas.  Is it easily navigable?  How do students readily find “what is due” that day or that week? 
  • How can you use Canvas options (or Gradescope) for automatic grading?  How can you implement peer grading (i.e., giving students direction on how to properly critique and give feedback)?  How can you use rubrics for both grading and communicating expectations? 
  • 1List of all references in the complete JITT Guide.