Hybrid Learning

A call for the extension of hybrid learning urges that it become not just a quick fix or a boon for the bottom line, but an educational mode that reenvisions quality teaching and learning for the 21st century. Hybrid Learning: The Perils and Promise of Blending Online and Face-to-Face Instruction in Higher Education is an in-depth exploration of a new learning mode that could radically change higher education, incorporating emerging trends in technology and multimedia use—including online gaming, social networking, and other Web 2.0 applications—to create engaging and dynamic learning environments. Laying out fundamental challenges facing higher education today, this book shows how hybrid instruction can be designed and implemented to deliver excellent educational value in flexible modes and at moderate costs well-suited to the circumstances of many students and institutions. The book lays out the characteristic profiles of students who are most likely to benefit from and perform well in a hybrid learning environment, as well as the features and practices of hybrid courses most likely to produce positive learning outcomes. It also specifies the obligations of faculty in designing and delivering best-practice hybrid courses and the support and policy obligations of institutions. Challenging prima-facie assumptions about hybrid learning, the author promotes it as nothing less than an opportunity to reenvision education for the 21st century.

The Second International Conference on Hybrid Learning was organized by the School of Continuing and Professional Studies of The Chinese University of Hong Kong and University of Macau in August 2009. ICHL 2009 was an inventive experience for the Hong Kong and Macau tertiary higher education. The conference aims to provide a good platform for knowledge exchange on hybrid learning by focusing on student centered education. The technique is to supplement traditional classroom learning with eLearning. The slogan is “Education leads eLearning,” not vice versa. The me- odology is that at least 30% of learning activities are done by eLearning. The outcome is for students to learn at any time at any place. eLearning can increase students’ lea- ing productivity and reduce teachers’ administration workload alike. It is a new culture for students, teachers and school administrators to adopt in the twenty-first century. The conference obtained sponsorship from Pei Hua Education Foundation Limited, City University of Hong Kong, ACM Hong Kong Section, and Hong Kong Computer Society. Hybrid learning originated from North America in 2000, and is an ongoing trend. It is not merely a simple combination of direct teaching and eLearning. It encompasses different learning strategies and important elements for teaching and learning. It - phasizes outcome-based teaching and learning, and provides an environment for knowledge learning. Students are given more opportunities to be active learners and practice practical skills such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking, cr- tivity, self-management, self-study, problem solving, analysis and numeracy.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Hybrid Learning, ICHL 2011, held in Hong Kong, China, in August 2011. The 32 contributions presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from numerous submissions. In addition two keynote talks are included in this book. The topics covered are practices in borderless education, pedagogical issues and practice, organizational frameworks for hybrid learning, experiences in hybrid learning, computer supported collaborative learning, and interactive hybrid learning systems.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Hybrid Learning, ICHL 2012, held in Guangzhou, China, in August 2012. The 32 contributions presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from numerous submissions. In addition two keynote talks are included in this book. The topics covered are computer supported collaborative learning, experiences in hybrid learning, electronic learning, pedagogical and psychological issues, hybrid learning systems, and organizational frameworks for hybrid learning.

This collection of chapters offers readers diverse perspectives on English Language Teaching, along with various closely related theoretical constructs and pedagogical tools, such as motivation, learner autonomy, and technology. Amalgamating these constructs provides a much-needed theoretical grounding by using empirical studies. The chapters vary in their focus and reflect on classroom practices, and yield findings pertaining to a wide range of topics. As such, it will be of interest to a wide range of English Language Teaching professionals, from university instructors to schoolteachers. This edited volume broadens the conceptual boundaries of language learning theories, offers insights and directions into the future of hybrid teaching and learning, and adds a new line of enquiry emanating from empirical findings. This book will also be useful in professional development seminars and workshops that support multilingual learners, teacher trainers and trainer teachers.

Online and Hybrid Learning Trends and Technologies looks further into key aspects of designing and delivering online and hybrid learning environments. The contributors continue to focus on the instructional component of e-learning systems, looking at e-learning trends and technologies such as the management of large classes, podcasts, the educational uses of virtual worlds, and the development of virtual schools in North America and around the world.

Teaching in Blended Leaning Environments provides a coherent framework in which to explore the transformative concept of blended learning. Blended learning can be defined as the organic integration of thoughtfully selected and complementary face-to-face and online approaches and technologies. A direct result of the transformative innovation of virtual communication and online learning communities, blended learning environments have created new ways for teachers and students to engage, interact, and collaborate. The authors argue that this new learning environment necessitates significant role adjustments for instructors and generates a need to understand the aspects of teaching presence required of deep and meaningful learning outcomes. Built upon the theoretical framework of the Community of Inquiry – the premise that higher education is both a collaborative and individually constructivist learning experience – the authors present seven principles that provide a valuable set of tools for harnessing the opportunities for teaching and learning available through technology. Focusing on teaching practices related to the design, facilitation, direction and assessment of blended learning experiences, Teaching in Blended Learning Environments addresses the growing demand for improved teaching in higher education.

This practical handbook for designing and teaching hybrid or blended courses focuses on outcomes-based practice. It reflects the author’s experience of having taught over 70 hybrid courses, and having worked for three years in the Learning Technology Center at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a center that is recognized as a leader in the field of hybrid course design. Jay Caulfield defines hybrid courses as ones where not only is face time replaced to varying degrees by online learning, but also by experiential learning that takes place in the community or within an organization with or without the presence of a teacher; and as a pedagogy that places the primary responsibility of learning on the learner, with the teacher’s primary role being to create opportunities and environments that foster independent and collaborative student learning. Starting with a brief review of the relevant theory – such as andragogy, inquiry-based learning, experiential learning and theories that specifically relate to distance education – she addresses the practicalities of planning a hybrid course, taking into account class characteristics such as size, demographics, subject matter, learning outcomes, and time available. She offers criteria for determining the appropriate mix of face-to-face, online, and experiential components for a course, and guidance on creating social presence online.The section on designing and teaching in the hybrid environment covers such key elements as promoting and managing discussion, using small groups, creating opportunities for student feedback, and ensuring that students’ learning expectations are met. A concluding section of interviews with students and teachers offers a rich vein of tips and ideas.