Universities focus on hybrid model of learning
While some schools ease back into in-person education, others are taking a blended approach
“Back to class” doesn’t have quite the same meaning as it’s had in previous years, especially for Ontario’s post-secondary students. That’s because while universities and colleges have welcomed students back for another academic year, continued COVID restrictions mean it’s still not entirely status quo when it comes to in-person learning.
Last September, only four per cent of Ontario’s 44 colleges and universities were offering in-class learning, according to Course Compare.ca, leaving lecture halls and labs virtually empty.
This year, COVID-19 restrictions have lessened but not abated, so while around 40 per cent of the province’s post-secondary institutions are easing back into in-person learning, the rest will offer either a virtual or hybrid model. Which means more adapting.
“We have been constantly evolving,” says Claude Brulé, president and CEO of Ottawa-based Algonquin College, which is offering hybrid learning this fall: inperson courses for programming that requires hands-on learning (about 60 per cent of classes) and remote instruction otherwise.
The idea, says Brulé, is to minimize density on campus, and with it the potential for risk. But balancing the health and safety of the college community with the needs of students to receive the best education possible is tricky.
“When we could not be on campus … it limited some of our activities, because we have activities that are very much hands-on,” he says. “In those cases we had to postpone them until it … was safe to do so. Since last July, we started with bringing some learners to campus in small numbers.”
Sheridan College, which has campuses in Brampton, Oakville and Mississauga, is offering virtual classes, augmented with more in-person learning. The idea is to provide options for courses that can be offered in more than one modality, so students can choose what works best for them this fall.
“Our academic colleagues — those best positioned to assess academic delivery — have painstakingly reviewed every program to determine the optimal delivery mode for each course,” says Carol Altilia, provost and vice-president, academic, at Sheridan College.
“Our delivery plans are also guided by strong contingency measures that will allow us to respond to shifting public health regulations if needed.”
Their planning, she adds, “prioritizes options for all learners, to allow access and flexibility to students who may not yet be able or willing to come to campus.”
Algonquin College has also found there’s a demand for flexibility and learning options that meet the needs of a variety of students, says Brulé.
“People want the choice,” he says. “The personalization we’ve been able to provide has really resonated with both our employees and our students, and that’s the lesson we’re carrying forward well after the pandemic.”
As Brulé points out, Algonquin College was already offering robust digital learning years before the pandemic started. “So we’ve learned a lot of lessons along the way that’s allowed us to place our learners on the forefront and give them the tools to feel connected.”
And while he admits that virtual learning has drawbacks, there are clever workarounds. With a virtual class, for example, the instructor can have breakout sessions or personal chats. It’s not the same thing as face-to-face, he says, “but we continue to learn and find new ways in order to ensure the college experience is as good as it can be for our learners.”
Out of this need to adapt, innovation has emerged. At Sheridan College, for example, there’s virtual engineering labs inspired by video games, and the collaboration between film and television colleagues to use multiple camera angles to recreate the in-person life drawing experience for illustration students.
And the Centre for Teaching and Learning has created a comprehensive ecosystem of supports for faculty in the remote teaching and learning environment.
“Sheridan’s student-facing teams are working on various ways to engage new and returning students in safe, fun activities throughout the term that allow them to further connect with their peers,” says Altilia.
The school is enhancing its outdoor spaces for more flexible student use through tents and outdoor furniture, and will open specialized study spaces such as labs and studios for student use.
And some programs created in response to virtual learning might continue in the post-pandemic world, such as Sheridan’s co-op and internship programs. Launched in summer 2020, the Virtual Internship Program gives Sheridan degree students an alternative to a traditional internship during the pandemic, and has become an entrepreneurial way for participants to earn their work-term credit.
Ultimately, it’s this flexibility of choice that seems to resonate most with both students and staff. And educators across the country are realizing that it can be done — with a little ingenuity.
“We’re really excited about the fall,” says Brulé. “Yes, things will be bumpy and a little different again, but we’re excited to welcome students both to a virtual and hybrid environment.”