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Hybrid education is not about recording a presentation and reusing it in subsequent semesters .
Lights , camera …
What is ‘ hybrid ’ delivery and how does it work in higher education ?
By Greg Whateley
There appears to be some confusion in the sector around the meaning and application of ‘ hybrid ’ delivery to higher education students .
The view is that teaching students online while also providing a face-to-face ( F2F ) classroom option requires two sets of activities . In fact , ‘ hybrid ’ delivery is a simultaneous activity requiring no more preparation or time than F2F teaching .
The Toyota Kluger Hybrid lays out the foundations for the concept . It ’ s one car with two options . The driver decides which mode to use and this can be altered , as required , along the journey .
HYBRID HIGHER EDUCATION Dr Alison Barnes , president of the National Tertiary Education Union , missed the point in a recent article and has somehow constructed a model of teaching twice : first online , then F2F – effectively doubling the effort . The Guardian reporters , Zhou and Tariq , have expressed a more reasonable view , suggesting that although the hybrid practice requires effort , it is not a duplication of effort and there is certainly no ‘ doubling up ’.
In reality , it is a single task delivered in a dual mode . The student chooses the mode that best suits them and their circumstances . This can vary from subject to subject and , in fact , from week to week .
Basically , a well set up classroom – with elements of a TV studio added – provides the perfect location and vehicle for hybrid delivery . The more theoretical the subject , the easier the task . Practical classes , however , come with certain challenges .
REQUIREMENTS There are certain requirements for delivering the hybrid mode .
First , the activity needs to take place on campus irrespective of the number of students wishing to physically attend the session . The lecturer / presenter in situ then provides the option of teaching a fully online class or alternatively ( and simultaneously ) allowing students to sit in class in a COVID-19- safe manner – not unlike a live television audience . My institution refers to them as TEDx-style presentations .
Second , there are certain IT requirements needed to ensure the quality of the delivery , including picture ( ideally a tracking camera ), audio ( essential ) and supporting slides and graphics . The look and feel of the presentations must be impressive and this will require appropriate lighting and dress code . Essentially , we need to be aiming for TV quality output .
Third , the lecturer-presenter needs to remain aware that it is a ‘ live ’ presentation and requires a commitment to a dynamic ( dare I say entertaining ) performance . Shuffling through notes , head down , coughing , grumbling and repetition are unacceptable . These events need to be focused and dynamic ; they need to be well prepared and seamlessly presented . A live audience can sometimes enhance the presentation with appropriate responses but the teaching needs to be ‘ mindful ’ that many students are online .
Finally , hybrid education is not about recording a presentation and reusing it in subsequent trimesters / semesters . Recordings are valuable revision resources for students but nothing can ( nor should ) replace live sessions , albeit online or F2F . This is not about cost cutting and time saving ; it is about a quality , multiple-mode delivery .
FUTURE OF HYBRID There is little doubt that hybrid ( in its true sense ) will be with us for some time . It is predicted that 2021 and 2022 will be a hybrid period but elements of the concept will remain in the long term .
It will come as no surprise that many students ( both international and domestic ) onsite in Australia will choose online delivery as well as F2F . In a recent survey of students at my own institution , 92 per cent expressed the current desire to stay online , even in place of a hybrid option .
This preference may wane , but it ’ s likely that come 2023 students will wish to either choose between modes or alternate .
The hybrid model of delivery affords higher education providers a genuine quality option that can be delivered effectively and efficiently , and certainly without the doubling mistakenly proposed by some . Hybrid is not a shortcut , though : it is an attempt at a quality outcome given the extraordinary circumstances in which we find ourselves embedded .
It also has far reaching opportunities for students who , for whatever reason , find access to provider facilities difficult . ■
Emeritus Professor Greg Whateley is deputy vice chancellor , Group Colleges Australia .
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