Preparing to Teach Hybrid Courses

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Preparing to Teach Hybrid Courses

• UW-Colleges Faculty Seminar Held at UW-Fox Valley
  
• January 17, 2003
• by
• Learning Technology Center
• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

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Hybrid course session overview

• Define and describe Hybrid courses
• Advantages of a Hybrid approach
• Example of a Hybrid course
• Seven tips for instructors going Hybrid
• Comments and questions

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What Hybrid courses are

• Definition and Description
• A significant amount of learning has been moved
  online making it possible to reduce the amount of
  time spent in class
• An attempt to combine the best elements of
  traditional face-to-face instruction with the
  best aspects of distance education

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What Hybrid courses are not

• Hybrid courses are NOT
• Not traditional distance education courses
• Not entirely online
• Not simply traditional classes with a Web site
• Online time replaces some classroom time
• Not just transferring information to the Web
• Involves an extensive course redesign

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Hybrid courses are diverse and flexible

• The rhythm of face-to-face (F2F) and
  time-out-of-class (TOC) meetings differs
• Eliminate one class meeting a week
• Meet every second or third week
• Vary pattern during the semester
• Shorten class time

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Advantages of Hybrid courses Impact on teaching
and learning

• More flexible course format
• Opens new possibilities
• More student and learning centered
• Less listening and more activities
• More interaction and discussion
• Greater engagement with students
• More student accountability for own learning
• Instructors can document examine student work
  more thoroughly online than face-to-face

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Advantages of Hybrid courses General and
serendipitous outcomes

• Faculty said that students learn more, understand
  more, and retain more
• Convenience is advantage most frequently cited
  by students
• Faculty consistently report that the Hybrid
  experience affects the way they approach their
  other courses

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What you need to know to design a Hybrid course

• How to facilitate manage online interaction
• How to assess students online work
• How to integrate online and face-to-face teaching
• How to use the technology
• That you must get started early
• Redesign requires more time than you anticipate!!!

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Hybrid course example

• Anthropology of Religion (Fall 2002) Professor
  Alan Aycock
• Met once a week for two or three weeks and then
  totally online for one week
• Process
• Students (a) examined standard textbook in class,
  (b) used online discussion forums to apply text
  ideas to case study, (c) returned to class for
  face-to-face discussion and debriefing
• Emphasis on application of textbook theory to
  empirical case study and construction of
  scholarly arguments based on instructors online
  prompts
• Students constituted themselves as learning
  community both online and face-to-face
• Students were accountable for integration of the
  assigned text and case study

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Seven tips on going Hybrid

• Tip 1 Take it easy
• There is no single standard approach to a Hybrid
  course
• Start early and produce concrete learning modules
• Redesign is an incremental process
• Experiment and learn as you go
• Keep it simple

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Seven tips on going Hybrid

• Tip 2 Focus on design, not technology
• Avoid the course and a half syndrome
• Dont overload the course things take longer
  than you think they will
• Focus on the integration of the online and
  face-to-face components

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Seven tips on going Hybrid

• Tip 3 Use the resources already available
• Search for discipline-specific Web sites
• Check out Merlot and other learning object
  depositories
• Look for publisher content, especially in
  lower-level courses
• Take advantage of online help materials such as
  facilitation of group work, managing discussion
  forums, etc.

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Seven tips on going Hybrid

• Tip 4 Dont go it alone
• Talk with and get advice from experienced Hybrid
  course instructors
• Discuss your problems and progress with
  colleagues, whether they are using the Hybrid or
  not
• Get feedback and support from LTC professionals

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Seven tips on going Hybrid

• Tip 5 Manage your students expectations
• Explain and justify format of course and
  assignments clearly and repeatedly
• Make sure that students understand equivalence
  between amount of work in traditional class and
  in Hybrid class
• Students must be aware that not all online work
  can be completed at home
• Make all assignments and other course
  expectations as explicit as possible right from
  the start

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Seven tips on going Hybrid

• Tip 6 Prepare for anticipated problems
• Prefer simpler technologies to reduce risk and
  complications
• Break down and phase in longer assignments
• Provide time management tips for students
• Be very clear about what students are expected to
  do, and how you will grade them
• Prepare technology help sheets
• Identify place to go for live help

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Seven tips on going Hybrid

• Tip 7 The little things count!
• Things will occasionally go wrong plan carefully
  and be flexible about making adjustments where
  needed
• Ask for feedback from your students often and
  take their responses seriously
• Dont organize too tightly, theres always some
  slippage due to transaction costs of working
  online
• During the course, falling behind or sloppy
  record-keeping can be fatal stay current and
  keep copies of everything

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Heres something to keep in mind

• According to our surveys
• 100 of faculty Hybrid Project participants would
  teach Hybrid again
• 80 of students say that they would recommend the
  model to others

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Resources for Hybrid courses

• UWM Hybrid Course Web Site
• http//www.uwm.edu/Dept/LTC/hybrid.html
• UWM Student Hybrid Course Web Site
• http//www.uwm.edu/Dept/LTC/hybridcourses.html
• TEACHING WITH TECHNOLOGY TODAY Hybrid issue
• http//www.uwsa.edu/ttt/browse/hybrid.htm
• Comments and questions?

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Contact Information

• Learning Technology Center
• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
• LTC_at_uwm.edu
• [phone]

• Alan Aycock
• aycock_at_uwm.edu

• Andrew Collins
• acollins_at_uwm.edu

• Carla Garnham
• cgarnham_at_uwm.edu

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End