Beyond HybridBLENDING ONLINE, OFFLINE, AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING FOR GREAT RESULTS

CHRISTINA INGE

VP OF MARKETING, EDTRIPS

ADJUNCT FACULTY, BOSTON UNIVERSITY CDIA

Some Background BU Web Development Faculty

MS in Adult Learning and Instructional Technology

Focus on integrating technology

EdTrips Leading platform for finding and managing outside-the-classroom programs

Used by over 40,000 educators

Over 20,000 programs/venues

Creating a New Model

Why Turn to Hybrid? Allows for addressing students hesitant about going “all online”

Ideal for adult students who have been out of school for 10+ years, need study skills support

Greater connections between institution, community

Market as more valuable program

Create deeper networking during in-class sessions

Improve retention: emotional investment, increasing student support by faculty, and adapting more flexibly

Hybrid: Mixing Online with ClassroomBUILDING EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS

Some Considerations to Start Are you adding an online component to a traditional class,

adding classroom component to online class, or both?

Why are you doing it?

Whom is this for?

Who Benefits from Hybrid (online/in-class)?

Adult students

Traditional students who are: ◦ Working◦ Parents◦ Carrying heavy course load◦ Have strong extracurricular involvements◦ Prefer working on their own part of time

Who Else Benefits from Hybrid? Classroom faculty who are easing into online teaching

Online faculty who want to try classroom teaching (there are some)

Institutions that want to attract students who want flexibility

Why Should Online Not Just Be All Online?

One of key complaints by faculty: cannot adapt to each class’ unique needs within all-online structure

Hybrid More Adapti

ve

• Most of the curriculum stays within online structure• Class time has more freedom to adapt

Faculty can

tailor to

level, goals

• Freedom to meet student needs in-class

Why Should Online Not Just Be All Online?

One of key complaints of students: feeling alone Hybrid allows online to be more supportive:

◦ Faculty informal advising◦ Working in groups, in person, with other students◦ Easier to access on-campus resources if students are already

coming to campus

Mixing Classroom and Online

Supports students who have been out

of school

Allows traditional students some flexibility

while retaining classroom model

Overcomes reluctance of

some to go online

Syllabus flexibility-in-class sessions can adapt to each cohort

Exercise Thinking about your own faculty, address how using hybrid programs would impact support for online learning.

Thinking about your own students, share some specific examples of student populations who are struggling with retention and may benefit from a hybrid model

Creating Effective Hybrid ProgramsCURRICULUM, FACULTY TRAINING, STUDENT RECRUITMENT

Where Do We Start? Build a hybrid program from scratch:

◦ Most effective◦ Least likely to happen

Adapt online programs to hybrid:◦ Easiest to design

Building a Hybrid Program from Scratch

Benefit of blank screen

Build a task force to identify curricular

needs

Include faculty, instructional

designers, administration,

student representatives

Long-term design process

Adapting Online to Hybrid

Can be simplest courseThe “heavy lifting” of

designing an online program is already done

Most online faculty already have in-class experience, so

training is less

Adapting Classroom to Hybrid

Add online component (about 50% or more) to in-person

class

Can challenge faculty used to traditional• Training

hybrid faculty with same tech as online faculty is essential

Instructional design with

strong emphasis on making

online work

Think about what

components are essential

to keep in classroom

Some components will benefit from going

online (longer

assignments)

Some need to stay in

class if possible

(labs, group work)

Curricular Considerations-Part 1 Who designs it?

◦ Online is often a collaboration between instructional designer, faculty, department chair

◦ In-class is often more up to individual faculty

Hybrid works best with online design model:◦ Faculty leads, but in close collaboration with

instructional design◦ Why? Critical to get online component right

Curricular Considerations: Part 2 What degree programs lend themselves to hybrid?

◦ Few subjects can’t be enhanced with hybrid approach

Programs that profoundly benefit:◦ Business◦ STEM◦ Service profession programs (social work, psychology)◦ Education

Instructional Design for Hybrid Instructional design often more familiar with pure online Best to allow faculty to lead

Combine Classroom/Online in Business

Study: “Executive MBA” programs don’t offer the same increase in salary to graduates as traditional. The theory: loss of in-person networking with fellow students, facilitated connection with employers

Increasing face-to-face time can close graduate pay gap

Student focus on employability

Combine Classroom/Online in STEM

Traditionally, lab requirements have made many programs all in-person

Creating issues of access

Implementing hybrid model can allow STEM programs to be offered flexibly for first time

Increases access for under-represented populations, especially adult women

Combine Classroom/Online in Service, Education

Better transfer of soft skills Informal mentorship between experienced professionals and emerging

Fosters more free-form creative problem-solving

Exercise Where do you see hybrid programs fitting at your institution? How is online learning now structured?

Innovating with FormatsBEYOND THE LMS

Assessment Any hybrid course needs to include in-person participation as an assessment criterion

Ability to integrate theoretical, practical learning

Assess on application of field trip to course outcomes

Opportunity to offer real-world style assessment, such as 360-degree, holistic

Integrate Social Media Students now expect

social in the classroom

Especially for hybrid, especially for field trips

Allows not only for deeper connections, but also for more relevant assignments

Simple Ways to Go Social◦ Allow social posts to be/be

part of an assignment◦ Encourage social

collaboration with dedicated Twitter lists, hashtags, Facebook groups, etc

Expanding Assignment Types Again, opportunity to expand relevance Some creative assignments we’ve seen:

◦ Cooperation with employers to allow workplace projects combined with class assignments

◦ Option to use visual design instead of written work

◦ Video, audio assignments

Foster deeper connections with faculty and classmates.

Positioning the Hybrid ProgramATTRACTING AND RETAINING STUDENTS WITH HYBRID

Student Recruitment Survey: identify student populations to whom hybrid appeals in your area

Segment and target

Recruitment for Hybrid Segment:

“Adult Students” is not enough:

Working parents Women Employer

programsDegree

completion

Targeting the “Hybrid” StudentCreate relevant messaging by audience segment

Ensure that faculty are on board

If hybrid makes up only part of program, ensure that at least half of foundation courses are hybrid

Create outreach, program materials that emphasize responsiveness

Dedicated, trained admissions

Integrating Offsite

Adding Offsites

Greater connections Apply learning Networking

Stronger ties to institution

Honors diverse learning styles

Adult students especially engage most

when they see real-world connections

Brings students back to the classroom energized

Adds a different dimension to learning by making it real.

Opens their eyes to new vocational opportunities.

Makes a hybrid course more immediate, relevant

Tie to Outcomes

Identify at least 2-3 course outcomes directly

supported by the field trip

Create course exercises and materials that connect field activity with

outcomes

Explicitly include in syllabus—don’t

just make it an add-on

What Makes for a Good Offsite?

Allows students to apply what they learned, make deeper connections, and see the real-world applications of what

they are learning

Attracts students to programs by giving additional value

Creates real-world connections for students to increase degree benefits

Easy to manage

Provides faculty with new ways to engage students

Sustainable

Search For Trips That Meet Your Criteria Use broad criteria—not just class subject strictly defined, but look to allied subjects:

Language arts:

• Newsrooms, Author events, Author sites, Museums

Visual arts:

• Museums, Arboretums, Architectural sites, Even walking tours of cities

Business:

• Workplace visit, stock exchange, government

STEM:

• Service learning, facilities, nonprofit/NGO/Government collaboration

Choosing the Right Program

Relevance Accessibility

Variety of Levels Site Support

Build Bridges to Community Find a program where you’ll get strong support

Host site team willing to work with you

Ask for recommendations from faculty

Don’t just ask for sites—get content, lesson recommendations

Exercise Develop 2-3 ideas for offsites for a specific course Outline how it might support course outcomes Identify how students might also achieve “soft” learning, such as greater identification with institution, greater connections among cohort

Developing Curricula Around a Field Trip

Hybrid Classrooms: Online Work Online and hybrid classes offer unique opportunities to integrate field trips

Online resources and discussions can provide a more powerful framework than in-class lectures

Add resources and participate in asynchronous discussion

Hybrid Classes: Online Work

Support & IntegrateEnsure that they get the most out of

the off-site by laying

conceptual framework in

syllabus

If possible, work with

host venue to provide real-world tie-in

Prep students in pre-

assignments in the weeks before class

Assign research,

essays, online resource-

based

Incorporate in threaded

discussions

If lectures are recorded

separately for each class,

incorporate in lectures

Build in debrief-related

activities

Hybrid Classrooms: In-Class Work

Prepare & Connect

Have pre-trip discussions and role-playing

If possible, guest

lectures by host site staff

Assign groups that will work

together

Incorporate into lectures

Establish importance to overall learning

experience—this is work,

not an outing

Debriefing session in person, if possible

Present group work

and individual

assignments

Adapting to the Ways Students Learn

Social

Hands-on

Tied to career goals/outcomes

Collaborative

Adding Immediacy, Collaboration for Hands-On Learning

Create a feeling of confidence in

working with hostsScaffolding

Can vary widely between

traditional-age, adult students

Exercise: Connecting to Professional Goals

Thinking back to the field trip discussed earlier, find 2-3 ways that the program can better connect with students’ professional goals.

Bringing It All Together

Supporting Hybrid Models Instructor training and time:

◦ Often requires less training than pure online; inside faculty comfort zone

◦ Easiest to adapt an online course to hybrid◦ Best work with instructional designer

Staffing: ◦ Ensure adequate time for instructional designers◦ Admissions should be trained to support◦ Advisors should be trained on unique needs of hybrid

Use Every Tool to Integrate Field Trips Field trips should be integral to the class, rather than an outing

Threaded discussions

Assignments

Wiki

Lecture

Exercise Looking at existing curriculum, address opportunities and impediments to creating hybrid, offsite-centered programs

Brainstorm ways to attract students using hybrid programs

Thank You! Blog: EdTrips.com Christina@EdTrips.com @Ed_Trips & @ChristinaInge