Hybrid Works Best

1. Hybrid Works Best Looking to Professional Research to Understand Why and How Hybrid Classes Best Foster Basic Skills Development

2. Why Redesign Your College Course? • Increasing Enrollment • Limited classroom space • Reduced facilities costs • Increasing demand for online classes and flexible scheduling • Inadequate student preparedness

3. Students in Hybrid Classes Perform Best • University of Central Florida research shows “that students in hybrid courses achieve better grades than students in traditional face-to-face courses or totally online courses” (Aycock et al., 2002). Source: Aycock, A., Garnham, C. & Keleta, R. (2002, March 20). Lessons learned from the hybrid course project. Teaching with Technology Today, 8 (6). Retrieved May 2, 2006, from http://www.uwsa.edu/ttt/articles/garnham2.htm.

4. Students in Hybrid Classes Have Better Retention than Online • “Data from the University of Central Florida also show[s] that student retention in hybrid courses is better than retention in totally online courses and equivalent to that of face-to-face courses” (Aycock et al, 2002). Source: Aycock, A., Garnham, C. & Keleta, R. (2002, March 20). Lessons learned from the hybrid course project. Teaching with Technology Today, 8 (6). Retrieved May 2, 2006, from http://www.uwsa.edu/ttt/articles/garnham2.htm.

5. What Student Challenges Lead to Redesigning Developmental English Courses?

6. Students Need to Improve Basic Skills Students lack the basic skills they need to be successful in college, including skills in grammar, writing, and technology. According to Bridget Long of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, “Only one-third of students leave high school at least minimally prepared for college. . . .Among those who persevere to college, 35 to 40 percent require remedial courses in reading, writing or mathematics” (2005). Source: http://www.highereducation.org/crosstalk/ct0405/voices0405-long.shtml

7. Students Respond to varied Learning Styles Students with a variety of learning styles are well-served by different resources available in a hybrid environment. The Teaching-Learning Center at Durham Technical Community College in North Carolina offers the following ways hybrid courses “maximize student learning:” • “Students can view and review prerecorded lectures and access course notes and other materials such as course syllabus, assignment schedule, task sheets, grades, and so on.” • “Presents materials in a range of formats can help make sure every student is fully engaged in at least some class activities. Allows for auditory, visual, tactile learners.” Source: http://courses.durhamtech.edu/tlc/www/html/Special_Feature/hybridclasses.htm

8. Students Need and Want Technology Skills • Students understand that they need basic skills in order to be successful in college and beyond; thus, they are more likely to embrace new ways of learning. In “The Hybrid Online Model: Good Practice,” Margie Martyn (2003) maintains that “E-learning provides non-traditional adult students, who are juggling full-time employment and family responsibilities, an opportunity to leverage the new technologies of the Internet to achieve the skills they need to stay competitive in an increasingly digital job market” (p. 1). Source: Educause Quarterly (2003). Retrieved May 2, 2006 from http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/EQM0313.pdf

9. Students Benefit from the Flexible Structure of Hybrid Courses • Students who take longer to master basic skills, especially lower-level developmental students and ESL students, benefit from flexible structure offered by mastery programs such as My Writing Lab. • Students can spend more time practicing the areas they are weak in and gloss over areas they have mastered.

10. Students with Disabilities Need and Deserve Options • Hybrid courses offer a variety of learning options for those students who have limited capacities. It is the responsibility of the institution to make accommodations for students who are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act. • For example, deaf students can read text versions of lectures and write to other students instead of speaking in class. Blind students can listen to audio versions of lectures. Physically challenged students can use adaptive technology to grant access to online modules.

11. “Lessons Learned” from University of Wisconsin Hybrid Course Project

12. UWM’s Hybrid Course Project: A Study of What Works • The “lessons learned” by the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, are detailed in the overview of the university’s Hybrid Course Project (previously cited as Aycock et al). Available at http://www.uwsa.edu/ttt/articles/garnham2.htm • The website also contains a link entitled Introduction to Hybrid Courses, which provides an excellent picture of why hybrid works: http://www.uwsa.edu/ttt/articles/garnham.htm • For more complete information about the Hybrid Course Project, including sample hybrid courses; a template for replicating the project's Faculty Development Program; assessment protocols used during the project and; a Website designed to provide students information about hybrid courses, visit http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/LTC/hybrid.html.

13. Lesson: Students Need Help Understanding the Hybrid Environment “Students don’t grasp the hybrid concept readily” --Students need help understanding what a hybrid course is and what will be expected of them. --The key to student success in the hybrid environment is willingness on his/her part to learn and use the resources. As Catherine Kelley, assistant provost for educational technology at Fairleigh-Dickinson, says, “For some students [technology] is medicine. . . .They may not like it, but they need it—like a basic composition course” (Young, 2002). Source: Young, J.R. (2002) ‘Hybrid’ teaching seeks to end the divide between traditional and online instruction. The Chronicle of Higher Education 28(28). Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/free

14. Lesson: Hybrid Fosters Good Communication Skills • “Hybrid courses facilitate interaction among students, and between students and their instructor.” Students are more likely to engage in classroom discussion when they are in the classroom for fewer hours. In addition, they are more likely to communicate via e-mail, which fosters good writing skills. These skills are especially important for developmental English students in courses such as Basic Language Skills, Writing Foundations, and Composition Strategies.

15. Lesson: Students Enjoy the Flexibility of Hybrid Courses • “Time flexibility in hybrid courses is universally popular.” One student was quoted as saying, “I like the flexibility in that I can work on the course when it fits my schedule. With working, taking care of family, and going to school, I don’t always have the freedom to be at class at a particular time” (Aycock et al., 2002).

16. Lesson: Despite Initial Confusion, Students Embrace Technology “Technology was not a significant obstacle.” --Once students became familiar with the technology, there were few problems with their skills. “Eighty percent [80%] of the students reported that they would recommend hybrid courses to their friends” (Aycock et al., 2002). --Manner (2003) believes that “an effective solution for what [she has] come to call ‘techno-savvy’ can be a thoughtful and supported infusion into the regular course curriculum” (p. 33) Source: Manner, J.C. (2003). Serving the non-traditional student through a technology-enhanced curriculum. Tech Trends 47(5), 32-35.

17. How to Initiate and Maintain a Redesign Project

18. Gain Faculty Support for Redesign • Find an innovative group of peers who want to introduce technology into their courses. • Study other schools’ redesign projects and find one you’d like to emulate. --University of San Francisco invited faculty to participate in a Course Redesign Pilot Project. Details can be found at http://www.usfca.edu/its/cit/online/redesign_continued.htm --Florida State University also invites proposals for redesign projects. Perhaps your administration is willing to do the same. http://online.fsu.edu/proposal/cri/

19. Seek Institutional Support for Redesign • Some administrations thrust redesign upon their instructors while others are reluctant to agree. Explain that some immediate benefits to the institution include reduced facilities costs, increased distance learning offerings, and the promise of improved student performance and retention. • Once the redesign is approved and the scale is determined, the faculty redesign group should seek funds for additional technology and perhaps a course load reduction.

20. Study the Available Resources • Contact textbook vendors and request in-house demonstrations of new technology. Pearson has always been generous with their time and attention to our technology needs (and they’ve brought lunch! ) • Ask the vendor for data that supports how effective their product is at improving student learning in your discipline.

21. Determine Traditional and Online Components of Course • In general, you should take a full semester of redesign work and research before the course is launched. • As Carol Twigg says, “We have to look at what we’re trying to accomplish in a particular course and figure out the right blend of face-to-face and online. That blend is going to vary from subject to subject and particularly from student to student because students are quite different in their needs” (2004). Source: Veronikas, S.W., Shaughnessay, M.F. (2004). Teaching and learning in a hybrid world: An interview with Carol Twigg. Educause Review 29 (4): 50-62.

22. Become a Student:Learn the Technology First • Immerse yourself in the technology you are requiring your students to use. This way, you will have first-hand knowledge of the types of technical problems students will report. • Become familiar with technical support staff at the company that provides your product. • Be prepared to address technical issues when during face-to-face meetings in a hybrid course. If possible, hold your class meetings in a computer classroom.

23. The Hybrid Environment Hybrid for Developmental English Students: Finding the Right Resources to Best Meet Your Students’ Needs

24. “Content is king: The content drives the project: Without your classroom content, you wouldn't be thinking about e-learning right now” (Mortimer, 2001). Source: Mortimer, Lori. (2001, Dec.) The devil is in the details: Converting classroom courses to e- learning. Learning Circuits. American Society for Training and Development. Retrieved from http://www.learningcircuits.org/2001/dec2001/elearn.html

25. Web-Based Textbook Supplements • PH Words figured greatly in my redesign. It offers self-paced learning modules and a variety of exercises. It has a few technical glitches, but it is a good product overall. I will show a demo today. Access codes will be available for you to test your skills later! • This year, PH Words will be replaced with a similar—and better—product, My Writing Lab. There will be a demonstration later today.

26. Blackboard Cartridges • If your campus uses Blackboard as its web portal, you can adopt textbooks that contain Blackboard cartridges which include quizzes, writing prompts, videos, and other student resources. • My Writing Lab is Blackboard compatible. • Several Developmental Writing Skills textbooks, such as Bialys Along These Lines, have Blackboard and OneKey cartridges available for download. • A demo of one such course is available at the following link: http://vig.prenhall.com/catalog/academic/product/0,1144,0131850822,00.html#

27. Trusted Internet Resources • As we tell our students, you can’t always trust everything on the internet, but if you search carefully using advance search methods, you can find some good informational and interactive websites for students. Here are some that I’ve found: --Capital Community College Guide to Grammar and Writing: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/ --Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/oldindex.html --Grammar Bytes! http://www.chompchomp.com/menu.htm

28. Online Discussion Forums • You can initiate online discussions among students in Blackboard on the Discussion Boards. • Other campus web portals such as Campus Cruiser also offer students a place to engage in dialogue, seek assistance, and find support. • As Patsy Krech (2002), who teaches a hybrid writing course, notes, students “are immersed in the medium of what they’re learning all the time, whether they’re e-mailing me, whether they’re putting things on the discussion board, or e-mailing each other.” Source: Online feedback in hybrid writing courses. (2002, June). Online Classroom 1(6). Retrieved from Wilson Web database.

29. Case Study: Johnston Community College Hybrid English Data

30. Johnston Community College Case • Expository Writing (3 credit course) was offered as a 50/50 hybrid, with in-class meetings once a week for 1 ½ hours and online discussion boards, and online work due weekly. There is not a set formula for how to balance traditional and online time; do what works best for your institution. • The first year of implementation, a total of 110 students registered for hybrid English classes. I followed the advice of the researchers, spending a lot of time explaining hybrid, introducing technology, and offering extra help. Students started with a strong understanding of what was expected of them, and had few problems other than normal computer issues.

31. My Technological Tools • PH Words tested students’ prerequisite grammar skills in a Diagnostic Pre-test and gave students and me a report of their strengths and weaknesses. • Students viewed videos and did practice exercises in areas they were weak in (i.e. sentence fragments, subject/verb agreement). At the end of the course, students took a Diagnostic Post-test, which was their final exam. • Campus Cruiser was the web portal that provided the Discussion Boards and an Announcements platform. Later, when I started teaching purely online courses, I moved that content to Blackboard. • When class did meet, discussions were more lively and students were more actively engaged than in my traditional courses.

32. Student Performance

33. Explaining the Data (A students) • The number of hybrid students earning a grade of A did not significantly increase over the number of traditional students during the same period. This may show that hybrid does not offer an “easy A,” nor does it decrease chances of success. • The number of online students earning a grade of A was 6% fewer than their traditional counterparts and 7.7% fewer than their hybrid counterparts. • This may show that online instruction provides the greatest academic challenge to English students.

34. Explaining the Data cont’d (B’s and C’s) • The number of hybrid students earning grades of B or C was 6.2% lower than their traditional peers. • The number of online students earning grades of B or C was 12.3% fewer than their traditional peers and 5.7% fewer than their hybrid counterparts • This data shows that online students tend to struggle the most. Other data shows online students earn fewer A’s and more D’s and F’s than either traditional or hybrid students.

35. Explaining the Data (D’s and F’s) cont’d • The number of hybrid students earning a grade of D or F was 5% higher than their traditional peers; this may show that students who were not top-level students (with grades of A) may have struggled a bit more in the hybrid environment than in traditional classes. • The number of online students earning a grade of D or F was significantly higher than traditional or hybrid—online students earned 20% more D’s and F’s than their traditional counterparts and 14.7% more D’s and F’s than their hybrid counterparts. • This data shows that online students who are struggling may have fewer resources to help them improve than hybrid or traditional students, who have the benefit of face-to-face interaction.

36. Explaining the Data cont’d(Withdrawal Rates) • Withdrawal rates for all three course delivery methods were in line with one another, hovering between 13.3% and 15%. • This data shows that the trend is for approximately 1 in 7 students to withdraw from the course, and the reasons cannot be extrapolated from the data.

37. What Redesign Method is Best? • From the research and the data, it would seem that hybrid course redesign leads to the highest level of student success. • Research shows that students in the hybrid courses benefit from a combination of face-to-face and online learning environments. • Online students seem to struggle the most, perhaps because they feel “lost” in cyberspace. A DL committee has been formed on my campus to study how JCC can help increase online students’ success.

38. Food for Thought After their study of a hybrid communication course at Northwest Missouri University Schwartzman and Tuttle (2002) caution both students and faculty alike: “The potential for pedagogical promise or peril lies not in the technological tools, but in the hands of those who wield them” (p. 187). Source: Schwartzman, R., & Tuttle, H. (2002). What can online components teach about improving instruction and learning? Journal of Instructional Psychology, 29(3), 179-88. Retrieved from Wilson Web database.

39. Presenter Contact Information • Tina Irvine, English Instructor • Johnston Community College • irvinet@johnstoncc.edu • tinairvine@earthlink.net • 919-209-2097