Hybrid Works Best
Looking to Professional Research to
Understand Why and How Hybrid Classes
Best Foster Basic Skills Development
Why Redesign Your College Course?
• Increasing Enrollment
• Limited classroom space
• Reduced facilities costs
• Increasing demand for online classes and
flexible scheduling
• Inadequate student preparedness
Students in Hybrid Classes Perform
Best
• University of Central Florida research shows
―that students in hybrid courses achieve better
grades than students in traditional face-to-face
courses or totally online courses‖ (Aycock et al.,
2002).
Source: Aycock, A., Garnham, C. & Keleta, R. (2002, March 20). Lessons learned from the hybrid
course project. Teaching with Technology Today, 8 (6). Retrieved May 2, 2006, from
http://www.uwsa.edu/ttt/articles/garnham2.htm.
Students in Hybrid Classes Have
Better Retention than Online
• ―Data from the University of Central Florida
also show[s] that student retention in hybrid
courses is better than retention in totally online
courses and equivalent to that of face-to-face
courses‖ (Aycock et al, 2002).
Source: Aycock, A., Garnham, C. & Keleta, R. (2002, March 20). Lessons learned from the hybrid
course project. Teaching with Technology Today, 8 (6). Retrieved May 2, 2006, from
http://www.uwsa.edu/ttt/articles/garnham2.htm.
What Student Challenges Lead to
Redesigning Developmental
English Courses?
Students Need to Improve
Basic Skills
Students lack the basic skills they need to be
successful in college, including skills in grammar,
writing, and technology.
According to Bridget Long of the National Center for Public
Policy and Higher Education, ―Only one-third of students leave
high school at least minimally prepared for college. . . .Among
those who persevere to college, 35 to 40 percent require remedial
courses in reading, writing or mathematics‖ (2005).
Source: http://www.highereducation.org/crosstalk/ct0405/voices0405-long.shtml
Students Respond to varied
Learning Styles
Students with a variety of learning styles are
well-served by different resources available in a
hybrid environment.
The Teaching-Learning Center at Durham Technical Community College in
North Carolina offers the following ways hybrid courses ―maximize student
learning:‖
– ―Students can view and review prerecorded lectures and access course
notes and other materials such as course syllabus, assignment schedule,
task sheets, grades, and so on.‖
– ―Presents materials in a range of formats can help make sure every
student is fully engaged in at least some class activities. Allows for
auditory, visual, tactile learners.‖
Source: http://courses.durhamtech.edu/tlc/www/html/Special_Feature/hybridclasses.htm
Students Need and Want
Technology Skills
• Students understand that they need basic skills
in order to be successful in college and beyond;
thus, they are more likely to embrace new ways
of learning.
In ―The Hybrid Online Model: Good Practice,‖ Margie Martyn (2003)
maintains that ―E-learning provides non-traditional adult students, who
are juggling full-time employment and family responsibilities, an
opportunity to leverage the new technologies of the Internet to achieve
the skills they need to stay competitive in an increasingly digital job
market‖ (p. 1).
Source: Educause Quarterly (2003). Retrieved May 2, 2006 from
http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/EQM0313.pdf
Students Benefit from the
Flexible Structure of Hybrid Courses
• Students who take longer to master basic
skills, especially lower-level developmental
students and ESL students, benefit from flexible
structure offered by mastery programs such as
My Writing Lab.
• Students can spend more time practicing the
areas they are weak in and gloss over areas they
have mastered.
Students with Disabilities
Need and Deserve Options
• Hybrid courses offer a variety of learning options for
those students who have limited capacities. It is the
responsibility of the institution to make
accommodations for students who are protected under
the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• For example, deaf students can read text versions of
lectures and write to other students instead of speaking
in class. Blind students can listen to audio versions of
lectures. Physically challenged students can use
adaptive technology to grant access to online modules.
“Lessons Learned” from University
of Wisconsin Hybrid Course Project
UWM‟s Hybrid Course Project:
A Study of What Works
• The ―lessons learned‖ by the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-
Milwaukee, are detailed in the overview of the university‘s Hybrid Course
Project (previously cited as Aycock et al). Available at
http://www.uwsa.edu/ttt/articles/garnham2.htm
• The website also contains a link entitled Introduction to Hybrid Courses, which
provides an excellent picture of why hybrid works:
http://www.uwsa.edu/ttt/articles/garnham.htm
• For more complete information about the Hybrid Course Project, including
sample hybrid courses; a template for replicating the project's Faculty
Development Program; assessment protocols used during the project and; a
Website designed to provide students information about hybrid courses, visit
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/LTC/hybrid.html.
Lesson: Students Need Help
Understanding the Hybrid Environment
―Students don‘t grasp the hybrid concept readily‖
--Students need help understanding what a hybrid course is
and what will be expected of them.
--The key to student success in the hybrid environment is
willingness on his/her part to learn and use the resources. As
Catherine Kelley, assistant provost for educational technology
at Fairleigh-Dickinson, says, ―For some students [technology]
is medicine. . . .They may not like it, but they need it—like a
basic composition course‖ (Young, 2002).
Source: Young, J.R. (2002) ‗Hybrid‘ teaching seeks to end the divide between traditional and online
instruction. The Chronicle of Higher Education 28(28). Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/free
Lesson: Hybrid Fosters Good
Communication Skills
• ―Hybrid courses facilitate interaction among
students, and between students and their
instructor.‖
Students are more likely to engage in classroom discussion when
they are in the classroom for fewer hours. In addition, they are
more likely to communicate via e-mail, which fosters good
writing skills. These skills are especially important for
developmental English students in courses such as Basic
Language Skills, Writing Foundations, and Composition
Strategies.
Lesson: Students Enjoy the
Flexibility of Hybrid Courses
• ―Time flexibility in hybrid courses is universally
popular.‖
One student was quoted as saying, ―I like the flexibility in that I
can work on the course when it fits my schedule. With
working, taking care of family, and going to school, I don‘t
always have the freedom to be at class at a particular time‖
(Aycock et al., 2002).
Lesson: Despite Initial Confusion,
Students Embrace Technology
―Technology was not a significant obstacle.‖
--Once students became familiar with the technology, there were
few problems with their skills. ―Eighty percent [80%] of the
students reported that they would recommend hybrid courses to
their friends‖ (Aycock et al., 2002).
--Manner (2003) believes that ―an effective solution for what
[she has] come to call ‗techno-savvy‘ can be a thoughtful and
supported infusion into the regular course curriculum‖ (p. 33)
Source: Manner, J.C. (2003). Serving the non-traditional student through a technology-enhanced curriculum.
Tech Trends 47(5), 32-35.
How to Initiate and Maintain a
Redesign Project
Gain Faculty Support for Redesign
• Find an innovative group of peers who want to
introduce technology into their courses.
• Study other schools‘ redesign projects and find
one you‘d like to emulate.
--University of San Francisco invited faculty to participate in a Course
Redesign Pilot Project. Details can be found at
http://www.usfca.edu/its/cit/online/redesign_continued.htm
--Florida State University also invites proposals for redesign projects.
Perhaps your administration is willing to do the same.
http://online.fsu.edu/proposal/cri/
Seek Institutional Support for
Redesign
• Some administrations thrust redesign upon their
instructors while others are reluctant to agree. Explain
that some immediate benefits to the institution include
reduced facilities costs, increased distance learning
offerings, and the promise of improved student
performance and retention.
• Once the redesign is approved and the scale is
determined, the faculty redesign group should seek
funds for additional technology and perhaps a course
load reduction.
Study the Available Resources
• Contact textbook vendors and request in-house
demonstrations of new technology. Pearson has
always been generous with their time and
attention to our technology needs (and they‘ve
brought lunch! )
• Ask the vendor for data that supports how
effective their product is at improving student
learning in your discipline.
Determine Traditional and Online
Components of Course
• In general, you should take a full semester of redesign
work and research before the course is launched.
• As Carol Twigg says, ―We have to look at what we‘re
trying to accomplish in a particular course and figure
out the right blend of face-to-face and online. That
blend is going to vary from subject to subject and
particularly from student to student because students
are quite different in their needs‖ (2004).
Source: Veronikas, S.W., Shaughnessay, M.F. (2004). Teaching and learning in a hybrid world: An
interview with Carol Twigg. Educause Review 29 (4): 50-62.
Become a Student:
Learn the Technology First
• Immerse yourself in the technology you are requiring
your students to use. This way, you will have first-hand
knowledge of the types of technical problems students
will report.
• Become familiar with technical support staff at the
company that provides your product.
• Be prepared to address technical issues when during
face-to-face meetings in a hybrid course. If possible,
hold your class meetings in a computer classroom.
The Hybrid Environment
Hybrid for Developmental English Students:
Finding the Right Resources to
Best Meet Your Students‘ Needs
“Content is king:
The content drives the project: Without your
classroom content, you wouldn't be thinking
about e-learning right now‖ (Mortimer, 2001).
Source: Mortimer, Lori. (2001, Dec.) The devil is in the details: Converting classroom courses to e-
learning. Learning Circuits. American Society for Training and Development. Retrieved
from http://www.learningcircuits.org/2001/dec2001/elearn.html
Web-Based Textbook Supplements
• PH Words figured greatly in my redesign. It
offers self-paced learning modules and a variety
of exercises. It has a few technical glitches, but
it is a good product overall. I will show a demo
today. Access codes will be available for you to
test your skills later!
• This year, PH Words will be replaced with a
similar—and better—product, My Writing Lab.
There will be a demonstration later today.
Blackboard Cartridges
• If your campus uses Blackboard as its web portal, you can adopt
textbooks that contain Blackboard cartridges which include
quizzes, writing prompts, videos, and other student resources.
• My Writing Lab is Blackboard compatible.
• Several Developmental Writing Skills textbooks, such as Bialys
Along These Lines, have Blackboard and OneKey cartridges
available for download.
• A demo of one such course is available at the following link:
http://vig.prenhall.com/catalog/academic/product/0,1144,0131850822,00.html#
Trusted Internet Resources
• As we tell our students, you can‘t always trust everything on the
internet, but if you search carefully using advance search
methods, you can find some good informational and interactive
websites for students. Here are some that I‘ve found:
--Capital Community College Guide to Grammar and Writing:
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
--Purdue University‘s Online Writing Lab:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/oldindex.html
--Grammar Bytes!
http://www.chompchomp.com/menu.htm
Online Discussion Forums
• You can initiate online discussions among students in
Blackboard on the Discussion Boards.
• Other campus web portals such as Campus Cruiser also offer
students a place to engage in dialogue, seek assistance, and find
support.
• As Patsy Krech (2002), who teaches a hybrid writing course,
notes, students ―are immersed in the medium of what they‘re
learning all the time, whether they‘re e-mailing me, whether
they‘re putting things on the discussion board, or e-mailing each
other.‖
Source: Online feedback in hybrid writing courses. (2002, June). Online Classroom 1(6).
Retrieved from Wilson Web database.
Case Study: Johnston Community
College Hybrid English Data
Johnston Community College Case
• Expository Writing (3 credit course) was offered as a 50/50
hybrid, with in-class meetings once a week for 1 ½ hours and
online discussion boards, and online work due weekly. There is
not a set formula for how to balance traditional and online time;
do what works best for your institution.
• The first year of implementation, a total of 110 students
registered for hybrid English classes. I followed the advice of
the researchers, spending a lot of time explaining hybrid,
introducing technology, and offering extra help. Students started
with a strong understanding of what was expected of them, and
had few problems other than normal computer issues.
My Technological Tools
• PH Words tested students‘ prerequisite grammar skills in a
Diagnostic Pre-test and gave students and me a report of their
strengths and weaknesses.
• Students viewed videos and did practice exercises in areas they
were weak in (i.e. sentence fragments, subject/verb agreement).
At the end of the course, students took a Diagnostic Post-test,
which was their final exam.
• Campus Cruiser was the web portal that provided the Discussion
Boards and an Announcements platform. Later, when I started
teaching purely online courses, I moved that content to
Blackboard.
• When class did meet, discussions were more lively and students
were more actively engaged than in my traditional courses.
Student Performance
Grades Traditional Hybrid Online
Earned Students „05 Students „05 Students „05
Percentage of A‘s 31% 32.7% 25%
Percentage of B‘s 35.6% 30% 20%
Percentage of C‘s 9.2% 8.2% 12.5%
Percentage of 9.2% 14.5% 29.2%
D‘s and F‟s
Withdrawal Rate 15% 14.6% 13.3%
Explaining the Data (A students)
• The number of hybrid students earning a grade of A
did not significantly increase over the number of
traditional students during the same period. This may
show that hybrid does not offer an ―easy A,‖ nor does
it decrease chances of success.
• The number of online students earning a grade of A
was 6% fewer than their traditional counterparts and
7.7% fewer than their hybrid counterparts.
• This may show that online instruction provides the
greatest academic challenge to English students.
Explaining the Data cont‟d
(B‟s and C‟s)
• The number of hybrid students earning grades of B or
C was 6.2% lower than their traditional peers.
• The number of online students earning grades of B or
C was 12.3% fewer than their traditional peers and
5.7% fewer than their hybrid counterparts
• This data shows that online students tend to struggle
the most. Other data shows online students earn fewer
A‘s and more D‘s and F‘s than either traditional or
hybrid students.
Explaining the Data (D‟s and F‟s)
cont‟d
• The number of hybrid students earning a grade of D or F was
5% higher than their traditional peers; this may show that
students who were not top-level students (with grades of A) may
have struggled a bit more in the hybrid environment than in
traditional classes.
• The number of online students earning a grade of D or F was
significantly higher than traditional or hybrid—online students
earned 20% more D‘s and F‘s than their traditional counterparts
and 14.7% more D‘s and F‘s than their hybrid counterparts.
• This data shows that online students who are struggling may
have fewer resources to help them improve than hybrid or
traditional students, who have the benefit of face-to-face
interaction.
Explaining the Data cont‟d
(Withdrawal Rates)
• Withdrawal rates for all three course delivery
methods were in line with one another, hovering
between 13.3% and 15%.
• This data shows that the trend is for
approximately 1 in 7 students to withdraw from
the course, and the reasons cannot be
extrapolated from the data.
What Redesign Method is Best?
• From the research and the data, it would seem that
hybrid course redesign leads to the highest level of
student success.
• Research shows that students in the hybrid courses
benefit from a combination of face-to-face and online
learning environments.
• Online students seem to struggle the most, perhaps
because they feel ―lost‖ in cyberspace. A DL
committee has been formed on my campus to study
how JCC can help increase online students‘ success.
Food for Thought
After their study of a hybrid communication course at
Northwest Missouri University Schwartzman and Tuttle (2002)
caution both students and faculty alike:
―The potential for pedagogical promise or peril lies
not in the technological tools, but in the hands
of those who wield them‖ (p. 187).
Source: Schwartzman, R., & Tuttle, H. (2002). What can online components teach about improving
instruction and learning? Journal of Instructional Psychology, 29(3), 179-88. Retrieved from
Wilson Web database.
Presenter Contact Information
• Tina Irvine, English Instructor
• Johnston Community College
• irvinet@johnstoncc.edu
• tinairvine@earthlink.net
• 919-209-2097