Most of us know how revolutionary technological innovations have been over the past decade, especially in education. Not only is technology reshaping learning mechanisms, but it is also making education more valuable and qualifiable.
The time when students would have no options to choose their learning mode is long gone. Instead, now digital innovations are constantly opening doors to multiple opportunities with various learning options. These include traditional on-campus classes, online schools, and the latest and most famous hybrid learning style.
Hybrid learning, sometimes known as blended learning, is a mix of online and on-campus classes for students who want to experience the best of both worlds. Although relatively new, hybrid learning has quickly become a notable trend amongst students, teachers, and colleges. A recent survey showed that nearly 68% of students preferred hybrid learning over other modes of classes. Even 575 teachers claimed hybrid learning to be a more effective teaching method. These statistics are indeed game-changers. Let’s now discuss why hybrid learning is better than the rest.
Flexibility
Flexibility has become an increasingly essential factor in education. It is crucial to remember that learners today come from the digital age. Unlike older times, these individuals will be hesitant to settle for less. Today, students want as many options as possible.
The ability to switch from online to physical or vice versa can prove immensely beneficial. Whether a person is finishing a master’s or starting high school, flexibility becomes essential for a good outcome. For instance, students enrolling for higher education programs like the master in social work prefer online learning, given the ease of managing work and studies. When students get the freedom to decide how to learn, the results are invaluable and remarkable.
There is no doubt that campus life has its perks. However, there are also several downsides to it, such as conveyance and locations. Students might find it difficult or inconvenient to show up to university or college several days a week. However, hybrid learning can easily prevent such an issue. Students can opt for online classes instead of physically attending lectures.
Convenience
Another obvious but praiseworthy advantage of hybrid learning is the convenience it provides. As mentioned above, students can have several reasons for not being able to attend classes physically. Some might have job commitments, others might have families to look after, or some might be suffering from deteriorating health or disabilities.
Even some students from rural areas find it hard to attend college or school physically. In that case, they can opt for online classes and still get the same quality of education as their peers who are taking physical classes. Study tools like Studocu, which provide a good medium for enhancing learning, can be beneficial to them. Students looking for detailed notes, assignments, summaries, and books can find them on this user-friendly site.
The hybrid system is an excellent way to fit education and learning into life without having to re-structure your daily routines entirely.
Affordability
Did you know that almost 38% of students fear that they might not be able to pay their college fees? Tuition is costly and unaffordable for many. It is also why several highly academically inclined individuals never go to college.
However, the case with online learning is pretty different. Online learning is much cheaper than in-person learning. It is because online schools have much fewer expenses, mainly because of zero maintenance and textbook costs. So, you get a high-quality education at a much lower price and less time. Many people might argue that the hidden costs of online or hybrid education don’t allow it to remain inexpensive. However, in reality, research proves that people enrolled in online schools are much more willing to spend money on tools and other requirements than physically taking classes.
Sufficient use of teaching resources
Hybrid learning ensures the best possible use of all teaching resources. For instance, hybrid learning can cater to small classrooms (when some students take classes online) while reserving bigger classrooms for lessons that genuinely need them.
Hybrid learning also doesn’t over-exhaust teachers by not forcing them to teach students that don’t budge in physical classes. Also, universities divide a single course into two or smaller sections with a hybrid model. Hence, it becomes easier for instructors to cater to all students. The hybrid system is also an excellent encourager of technology usage, such as digital whiteboards. These EdTech options are highly efficient and can thoroughly improve the quality of education once teachers learn how to utilize the software entirely.
Differentiation
If we narrow our discussion down to one significant benefit of hybrid learning, it would be differentiation. Differentiation here refers to how each student learns at their own pace and in different ways. Some require time to revise older content, some need a bigger font, some might need translations, and the list continues.
However, hybrid education’s flexibility and convenience provide solutions to all such problems. Teachers can easily approach students to share feedback, post comments, and upload slides, which the students can view at their convenience.
Time management
Time management is highly significant in academic life. If you don’t want to fall behind schedule or the rest of your classmates, you must start properly managing your time now.
Managing time is usually much more challenging in on-campus classes than with online or hybrid learning. With hybrid mode, teachers can easily record lectures, upload them, and ask students to watch before the next lesson to stay updated with the course content. So even if students are unable to attend a few classes, they can easily catch up on the missed lectures later in the day or the following day.
Less pressure
The biggest and most significant advantage of hybrid learning is the reduced pressure on students. As the world progresses, lives become more and more complex. Even though innovation and advancements are significantly benefitting people, they are also steadily changing lifestyles. And often, adjustments to these alterations can quickly become overwhelming for people.
Academic stress can lead to severe trauma if not appropriately treated. Luckily, with hybrid learning and its flexible conditions, several students claim that they feel less stressed, more motivated, and more focused.
Conclusion
It is well-established that hybrid learning can resolve several issues and make students’ lives much more manageable. However, more flexibility, convenience, differentiation, etc., does not mean you won’t have to work hard during hybrid learning.
Remember, hard work is part of life, irrespective of how many opportunities you get. If you sincerely put in the effort and start improving your skills, you can easily accomplish anything.