One form of digital teaching is called hybrid teaching. Hybrid teaching can be designed in different ways, but what is common is that there is interaction between physical and digital learning environments. This interaction can happen asynchronously at different times or synchronously with students both on campus and online at the same time.

Working with hybrid teaching can be a way of dealing with situations where students are not able to attend campus teaching, but also a way of opening up to broader recruitment and participation.

Hybrid teaching places special demands on achieving effective and equal communication for all students, so it is important to plan well for this type of teaching.

Below we have compiled some advice and tips to help you as a teacher in a hybrid context.

  • Inform students who will be attending remotely of the location of the digital meeting, while indicating in the schedule the room where the teaching will take place.
  • Plan for online teaching and convert to campus version.
  • Digital materials are a given in hybrid activities
  • Think in advance about the structure of group work. Campus-campus, distance-distance, campus-distance?
  • When collaborating between on-campus and distance students, tools in the digital environment are preferable.
  • To facilitate communication with distance students, it may be helpful if students in the classroom also connect their digital devices to the current Zoom room (important that they have microphones turned off and volume turned down to avoid crosstalk and echo).
  • Think through the challenges and possible hassles that may arise during the session, and plan so that you know what to do if problems arise.
  • Same start time for both groups. Start the digital meeting at the same time as you start the class in the room.
  • Keep the time! For online participants, it is particularly important to have set times.
  • Appoint one of the students on site to help with reading and compiling chat posts, for example.
  • Stay online after the class/seminar so students can comment or ask about things they don't want to take in a large group. Talking about these possibilities in advance will give students extra reassurance.
  • Sound quality is very important to the experience of those participating online.
  • Recommend head set for those participating online for better experience.
  • As a teacher, make sure you feel comfortable with the technology. Test the equipment well in advance of the teaching session and practice the different functions.
  • Have a back-up plan in case something doesn't work. For example, switch to your mobile phone temporarily if the sound or images don't work in the classroom.

Organizational issues

  • Goeman, K., & Dijkstra, W. (2022). Creating mature blended education: the European Maturity Model guidelines. Higher Education Studies, 80–97.
  • Ninnemann, K., Liedtke, B., den Heijer, A., Gothe, K., Loidl-Reisch, C., Nenonen, S., ... & Wallenborg, C. (2020). Hybrid environments for universities. Waxmann Verlag.

Learning spaces

  • Leijon, M., & Lundgren, B. (2019). Connecting physical and virtual spaces in a HyFlex pedagogic model with a focus on teacher interaction. Journal of Learning Spaces, 8(1).
  • Leijon, M. & Tieva, Å. (2021), Framtidens lärandemiljöer: En forskningsbaserad översikt, Akademiska hus, 3–42.
  • Wiles, G. L., & Ball, T. R. (2013, June). The converged classroom. In 2013 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition (pp. 23–1176).

Versions of hybrid models

Student engagement

  • Ahlin, E. M. (2020). A mixed-methods evaluation of a hybrid course modality to increase student engagement and mastery of course content in undergraduate research methods classes. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 32(1), 22–41.
  • Bergdahl, N. (2022). Engagement and disengagement in online learning. Computers & Education, 188, 104561.
  • Bolliger, D. U., & Martin, F. (2018). Instructor and student perceptions of online student engagement strategies. Distance Education, 39(4), 568–583.
  • Dalgarno, B. (2014), Polysynchronous learning: A model for student interaction and engagement, Proceedings of ASCILITE, 673–677
  • Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2004). School engagement: Potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of educational research, 74(1), 59–109.
  • Martin, F., & Bolliger, D. U. (2018). Engagement matters: Student perceptions on the importance of engagement strategies in the online learning environment. Online learning, 22(1), 205–222.
  • Raes, A., Vanneste, P., Pieters, M., Windey, I., Van Den Noortgate, W., & Depaepe, F. (2020). Learning and instruction in the hybrid virtual classroom: An investigation of students’ engagement and the effect of quizzes. Computers & Education, 143, 103682.
  • Redmond, P., Abawi, L., Brown, A., Henderson, R., & Heffernan, A. (2018). An online engagement framework for higher education. Online learning, 22(1), 183–204.

Challenges and opportunities

  • Bülow, M. W. (2022). Designing synchronous hybrid learning spaces: Challenges and opportunities. Hybrid learning spaces, 135–163.
  • Raes, A., Detienne, L., Windey, I., & Depaepe, F. (2020). A systematic literature review on synchronous hybrid learning: gaps identified. Learning Environments Research, 23, 269–290.

Student/teacher perspectives

  • Bower, M., Dalgarno, B., Kennedy, G. E., Lee, M. J., & Kenney, J. (2015). Design and implementation factors in blended synchronous learning environments: Outcomes from a cross-case analysis. Computers & Education, 86, 1–17.
  • Demazière, C. (2021). Using active learning in hybrid learning environments. In EPJ Web of Conferences (Vol. 247, p. 14001). EDP Sciences.
  • Elkins, A. S. (2015). Student satisfaction in hybrid courses (Doctoral dissertation, East Tennessee State University).
  • Grammens, M., Voet, M., Vanderlinde, R., Declercq, L., & De Wever, B. (2022). A systematic review of teacher roles and competences for teaching synchronously online through videoconferencing technology. Educational Research Review, 100461.
  • Karlsson, S. (2022). Kursdeltagare både här och där!: En fenomenografisk fallstudie om uppfattningar och erfarenheter av synkron hybridundervisning inom högre utbildning.
  • Lakhal, S., Mukamurera, J., Bédard, M. E., Heilporn, G., & Chauret, M. (2021). Students and instructors perspective on blended synchronous learning in a Canadian graduate program. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 37(5), 1383–1396.
  • Lin, O. (2008). Student views of hybrid learning: A one-year exploratory study. Journal of Computing in Teacher Education, 25(2), 57–66.
  • Marquis, G. P., & Ghosh, S. (2017). Student preferences for a hybrid course. Journal of Education for Business, 92(3), 105–113.
  • Moore (1993), Three types of interaction, In K. Harry, M. John, & D. Keegan (Eds.), Distance education theory ,19–24, New York: Routledge
  • Nguyen, Q., Rienties, B., & Whitelock, D. (2020). A mixed-method study of how instructors design for learning in online and distance education. Journal of Learning Analytics, 7(3), 64–78.
  • Nykvist, S. S., Caro-Barek, D., Støckert, R., & Lysne, D. A. (2021, December). Key factors needed for developing a higher education cross-campus learning environment in a Nordic context. In Frontiers in Education (Vol. 6, p. 535). Frontiers.
  • Raes, A. (2022). Exploring student and teacher experiences in hybrid learning environments: does presence matter?. Postdigital Science and Education, 4(1), 138–159.
  • Tanis, C. J. (2020). The seven principles of online learning: Feedback from faculty and alumni on its importance for teaching and learning. Research in Learning Technology, 28.
  • Walker, E. R., Lang, D. L., Alperin, M., Vu, M., Barry, C. M., & Gaydos, L. M. (2021). Comparing student learning, satisfaction, and experiences between hybrid and in-person course modalities: A comprehensive, mixed-methods evaluation of five public health courses. Pedagogy in Health Promotion, 7(1), 29–37.

Guidelines

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