As technology advances, IT companies affiliated with educational institutions will continue to integrate advanced tools and deploy solutions designed to be useful and intuitive for both students and educators at all levels of the technical background.
In the last one and a half years, there has been a huge upsurge in the education sector. When trying to resume classes, educators and institutions have been seen to apply technology in multiple ways trying to find a medium that works best.
One method of learning that has gained a lot of positive attention is the hybrid learning model. This is a process where teachers teach both class and distance students at the same time – it creates an effective solution during an epidemic where outbound restrictions are reversed not only on the basis of region but also on the basis of individual health conditions.
Types of hybrid learning
The key to the success of the hybrid learning model is to be able to make the best use of face-to-face environments and virtual education, maximizing their plus-points without compromising the quality of education. There are several widely accepted hybrid learning models that have been popularly effective. Academics have placed them all based on the learning needs of their students.
Differentiated learning models include lecturing students simultaneously using an online conferencing platform or classroom and receiving instruction simultaneously from their home. They are then assigned asynchronous activities through an LMS portal which they again discuss synchronously.
The split A / B model involves classifying classrooms into two groups based on their personal availability. Group A is given online instructions via ‘flipped video’ on their assigned day via link or by uploading content to an LMS, while Group B receives the same set of face-to-face instructions on their day. The class can then interconnect as a single-day homeroom day or an open day for discussion-type interactions.
Another common model is the flipped learning model where students are provided with instructional material on a learning portal to go on their own time – in any format – which then meets in class and discusses, expands or works when they meet. – Individual session.
Advantages of hybrid learning model
The biggest advantage of the hybrid learning model is the flexibility that it provides to both educators and students. Flexibility in schedule, learning mode, learning speed, means of engagement and much more.
With technology, educators and students have the opportunity to establish the same level of intimate connection in real time when connecting remotely as in a face-to-face environment. The hybrid learning model also encourages an independent and self-reliant approach to learning where students can use their own material at their own pace, with the added benefit of revisiting material or instructions as needed.
Disadvantages of the hybrid learning model
Hybrid Learning assumes that every student tuned in to the lesson will have the best speed internet and the right device to access the lessons, which will put the virtual students at a disadvantage without proper technical requirements.
While opening up opportunities for students to learn at their own pace, the model can be challenging for students who lack time management skills, prioritization skills, or other necessary organizational skills. The hybrid learning model can also negatively impact virtual students emotionally when they see their peers interacting in class while they themselves are tuned in from their room isolation.
The challenge of the hybrid learning model
The primary challenge for educators in India in particular is to become proficient in using and understanding the various technologies used for them – for content creation and organization, for online classroom management or for working with an LMS portal and solving problems that may arise. Session time up.
An equally daunting challenge is the technical inequality among students where not every student has access to the internet or suitable loyal devices for the technology or software needed to run / view their lessons. For the model to be successful, a concerted effort needs to be made to overcome the difficulties of the learning model.
Learning is a dynamic process – and so is the learning process for teaching. Humans are highly adaptable animals and with enough time, the day is not far when hybrid models of education will be the norm. With creativity and motivation, educators can adapt this basic hybrid learning model and personalize it according to their abilities and needs.
As technology enablers, IT solution companies like NewSoft Technologies have stopped working. As technology advances, IT companies affiliated with educational institutions will continue to integrate advanced tools and deploy solutions designed to be useful and intuitive for both students and educators at all levels of the technical background. So that educators are empowered not to compromise on the quality of their teaching methods and students are least affected by technical inequalities or problems with their remote access to knowledge.