Merging worlds: when virtual meets physical: an experiment with hybrid learning

Abstract

Online enrollments continue to grow at many institutions. However there are some legitimate questions that can be raised about the student experience in online only classes. In this paper we describe a hybrid approach that tries to combine the better of two worlds, i.e., the better features of the traditional face-to-face classroom instructional format and the pure asynchronous online format. Our goal is to offer online students some of the experiences that face-to-face students have in class while also retaining much of the flexibility that comes with an online format. The main benefits as we see them are in increased involvement of the online students with their peers in the physical class and a higher level of engagement that we believe will result in a better student experience and better student outcomes.