Hybrid education

From botany to automobiles, we’ve all heard the phrase hybrid tossed around. You take the desired traits of two different entities and make them one. In the spirit of taking the best of two worlds, Portland State is giving new meaning to the word “hybrid.”

Beginning in spring term 2010, students will have more opportunities for class structure besides lectures or online courses. They will have the option for both in what the Center for Academic Excellence is calling hybrid instruction. This new class structure will consist of classes that are spent half on campus in lecture, and half online.

So far, there are only a handful of classes offering the hybrid instruction option, but give PSU time—more instructors will eventually jump on the bandwagon. The instructors who are leery about teaching an online course should try a hybrid one first. It is not hard to understand that this type of class structure offers the best of both worlds. It allows instructors to meet their students face-to-face, and gives them the luxury of conducting half of a class online.

These classes will also allow for two different courses to share lecture space. Twelve courses are confirmed for hybrid instruction, while only six classrooms are being used. A hybrid course can either conduct their lecture on Tuesday or Thursday. This benefits the college quite a bit, as it saves on classroom slot space in response to growing enrollments.

Hybrid courses are also giving students a great advantage—the flexibility that a regular online class offers, with the added bonus of having access to your professor once a week. This will allow students to meet demands in other areas of their life. It will give them more time to work and, let’s face it, there are a lot of us in that situation. If there came a day when you only needed to come to campus one day a week and the rest of your coursework could be done in the comfort of your own home, on your own time—that would be a great day indeed.

I admit, I had my doubts with this concept. Online courses require a certain level of discipline, and some people, even myself at times, really need that face-to-face class time. Not all learners can benefit from words written out plainly in black and white. They need interaction to fully grasp a concept, whether it’s simply from a teacher or from their peers. After all, learning is not the same for everyone. Students who have the discipline for online classes, but still want an in-class interaction—well, the hybrid class is perfect for you. And students who need that extra step with learning through interaction, I would still encourage you to try the hybrid course, so that interaction is not fully taken away from you.

Though in its infancy, it would be an immense step in the right direction if this idea takes off. It just takes a few classes to get the ball rolling, and in time more instructors will be inclined to teach such a course. It’s a time saver not only for students, but for teachers as well. Perhaps in the future, when people say the word “hybrid,” they will associate it with PSU classes.