2019 Annual Conference

Distance Learning (Technology and Online Learning)

Concurrent Session (45 minutes)

Hybrid courses blend online and face-to-face modalities, seeking to balance the flexibility of online with the personal connection of face-to-face. In practice, creating the right blend requires instructors to navigate myriad of design complexities. This session explores hybrid design decision criteria to create successful hybrid courses for all learners.

The target audience for this session includes facilitators, instructional designers, program developers, and individuals who learn using hybrid formats. Those new to hybrid or who currently utilize this format would benefit from participation in this interactive session.

Participants in this session will:
1. Examine a variety of hybrid learning formats, grounded in scholarly literature;
2. Evaluate how best to design a hybrid course by dividing the course content, objectives, and experiences between online and face-to-face modalities; and
3. Apply knowledge of various formats to their own teaching contexts.

Hybrid delivery has often been touted as the ideal way to facilitate learning, as it allows learners to interact in both face-to-face and online settings. It has the potential to integrate the most beneficial aspects of each modality (direct contact, real-time interaction, time for reflection on discussion responses, ability to share resources, etc.). But, this requires diligent design to successfully navigate the balance of each modality and ensure that the optimal delivery mode is considered for each learning scenario. During this session the presenters will share current research on hybrid learning, including benefits, drawbacks, and various delivery formats. Finally, they will encourage participants to reflect on the design decisions associated with the delivery of hybrid learning. This session is intended to support effective course design and the necessary ongoing research on hybrid learning.

The presenters will begin this session by reviewing the current literature focused on the various designs and uses of hybrid learning formats. They will also present the various ways hybrid learning can be structured. This will include an interactive audience participation activity exploring the benefits and challenges of the various hybrid formats for participants’ contexts.