Hybrid Education Model: What is it and its benefits?

With the hybrid education model, distance education and face-to-face education come together. 

 

From the beginning of the 20th century, education systems began to differentiate with the immense breakthroughs and technological changes in psychology.

For a long time, an alternative education model embraced by the learned educationists suddenly became an essential part of education within a few years. Moreover, with the pandemic in 2020 and the consequences following, students in several million received online education.

So when this pandemic is over, will virtual education no longer be used? Will there be a return to the old method? The experts' beliefs on this subject are that the teaching will continue with a hybrid model.

 

What Is Hybrid Education?

 

 In hybrid education, to get a more successful teaching output, we evaluate the superior features of other models together. The hybrid education model envisioned for the future is that virtual learning and traditional learning become a part of a regular curriculum.

This education model can reinforce the education given at school with online education at home or make the subject covered at home permanent with conventional in-person education.

The most obvious example of this education model is the 'flipped classroom' system.

In this system, students watch or study the video or educational content given by the teacher or trainer at their quarters. Then, they can hold question-answer or discussion sessions about these contents in the classroom. Many educational institutions successfully implemented this system.

 

With such investigations in the hybrid education model, more efficient lessons can be taught by integrating online education and face-to-face education. At this moment, the results obtained from the training can be more permanent.

 

What are the Benefits of Hybrid Education?

 

The hybrid education model has many benefits, where online education and face-to-face education are applied together. These benefits can be diversified in educational institutions, educators, students, and parents. 

Some are listed below for the readers' convenience: 

 

1. Capability of Self-Learning 

 

The biggest reason classical education systems cannot meet today's need is that they offer mass produced information. As a result of the rote format of education systems, the way the problem is offered can confuse the student. For this reason, studies focused on educational practices are applied in new education models.

An atmosphere that presents educational content outside of the classroom and discusses these contents in face-to-face education supports students in this respect. Thus, the student learns to research to get more information.

Thanks to the hybrid education model, students' self-learning skills develop. Thus, by acquiring information from different angles, he can match the correct information to the problem, even if the problem comes in different ways. As a result, they can approach problems more solution-oriented.

 

2. Time Management

 

Various methods are being developed to use time efficiently and spend it efficiently. Today, when surrounded by so many distractions, staying focused and using time efficiently has become an invaluable skill.

Hybrid education models help institutions, instructors, and students manage time well. For example, instead of learning in academies 7-8 hours a day, 5 days a week, time management for all training participants can be initiated by disseminating a part of the training to the online environment.

 

3. Efficient Resource Usage

 

With the increasing population, educational institutions need to serve more people. Classes are now more congested, or more courses in schools need reviewing resources usage. School buildings, teachers, their expenses cost considerable budgets.

Some of these resources are eradicated with the hybrid education model. For example, smaller school buildings mean less cost.

 

4. Malleability in Time, Space, and Application

 

The hybrid education model dictates resilience for students, trainers, and institutions when we train with the hybrid education model. Flexibility in this model can be considered from different perspectives. For example, when video and other educational content are stored in the cloud-based library, students can access the resources whenever they want. Likewise, teachers and students can participate in live lessons whenever and wherever they want.

The hybrid education model that provides flexibility in learning can provide flexibility in practice and time and space.

• Audio, visual, and mixed resources can be used for students with different learning styles.
• Teachers can use gamification techniques to learn by having fun and processing more interactive lessons with the smartboard. The LMS features determine how much flexibility we offer to the students learning.

  

5. Active Participation in Class

 

Not every student can be successful in actively participating in the lesson. It can be challenging to speak in class and express their ideas clearly for timid students who have problems in communication. Some students cannot achieve complete learning related to the subjects they need to learn during the lesson. While they can, it may take much effort to do so.

 

Thanks to hybrid models, introverted students who have problems in communication can get a more efficient education with online education. Nevertheless, first, they can prepare questions in their minds and approach the instructor individually. Then, assume they want to achieve the learning fully. In that case, they can strengthen it by watching online lesson materials and life lessons repeatedly. Finally, if they still cannot understand, they can sit with their teachers to clear their doubts.

 

Need analysis in the Hybrid Education Model?

 

When an institution adopts a hybrid education model, it requires new tools. For example, when an educational institution starts to provide education with a hybrid education model by combining online education and face-to-face education, it needs the followings:

 

1. LMS – Learning Management System:  LMS is essential for realizing distance education. LMS is an online tool where 

• students can enroll,
• students access to educational content,
• students can communicate with teachers,
• teachers can assign homework,
• Teachers can teach lessons.

 

2. Co-existing Courses: The online education system should include educational content and simultaneous lessons. A teacher must be able to conduct classes online with their students.

 

3. Dialogue Environment: Like in physical classrooms, there is a need for a discussion environment where students can discuss a topic and communicate with their teacher in online lessons.

 

4. Sharing Educational Content: Educational content is essential in online education. Students should also access educational content online to continue their schooling whenever they want. For this reason, systems were all kinds of educational content can be loaded and accessed according to classes and teachers should be used in the LMS preference.

 

5. Development of Educational Content: Numerous digital tools help teachers and institutions develop online education content. The material used in face-to-face education can be easily added to online systems in PDF or Word format. In addition, digital content development tools can be used for video tutorials and presentations.

 

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