Hybrid learning: The best of both worlds
Both online learning and the traditional classroom have advantages, and combining them yields better results
The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic brought along with it a seismic shift within the education space, according to best-selling author Professor Vijay Govindarajan, who was speaking at a Harvard Business Publishing webinar. Schools and universities were forced to rapidly and drastically shift their focus from in-person classes to online methods of teaching and learning in an unprecedented amount of time. As this shift between the “real world” and virtual spaces became more pronounced and more accepted, questions arose as to whether the physical space or the digital space was more suited to preparing the learners of today for the future of work.
For some people, the answer is simple: there is no reason to choose. While online learning has many advantages, such as lower costs, ease of access, lack of physical commuting and increased flexibility for learners and parents, in-person classes allow for more traditional social interaction, a closer connection to other students and more direct supervision. There are many factors to consider when weighing up the options, but experts agree that when done correctly, hybrid or blended learning environments offer the best of both worlds.
Accessibility
Virtual education can make learning more accessible to students who may face barriers in the traditional education system. It allows learners who might not be able to fully engage in a physical classroom — for whatever reason — the opportunity to access learning materials, live lessons and even assessments.
Learners with physical disabilities may be able to participate more fully from an environment that they are comfortable in, while scholars who face learning challenges because of conditions such as autism or social anxiety may be more comfortable in an environment where they are in control of the stimuli around them.
Online learning allows students to access and re-access learning materials such as module contents, assignments, lecture materials, podcasts, and recorded sessions anytime during the course of their studies, from wherever they are.
Online classes for adult learners also allow marginalised students, learners with children or other care responsibilities and people who work full time to receive their high school qualification or university degrees on their own terms, at a fraction of the cost. When this is combined with occasional in-person sessions or limited faceto-face classes, the benefits of both learning modalities can be fully realised.
While this seems promising, it is important to remember that many South Africans struggle to access virtual learning options, as the digital divide and the gap between the haves and the have-nots is very pronounced. This is a difficult situation to overcome; online learning opportunities can help elevate marginalised groups and elevate the educational status of people who cannot access traditional learning environments, but a lack of access to online learning technologies for learners in this group remains one of the biggest challenges.
According to a report by the South African Department of Statistics, there is a disparity in access to the necessary resources for remote
learning. According to the 2020 report, only about 7% of households with people between the ages of five and 25 had internet at home; most households use smartphones to access the web.
Examples of these challenges within an online learning context were highlighted by Stellenbosch University lecturer and researcher Dr Marenet Jordaan and writer and lecturer Anneli Groenewald in a research study titled Suddenly Apart, Yet Still Connected: South African Postgraduate Journalism Students’ Responses to Emergency Remote Teaching and Learning.
Despite the privilege of the institution, many students in the Department of Journalism still struggled to access the internet due to connectivity challenges. “Some students relied on the internet facilities on campus and became dependent
on limited mobile data bundles provided by the university for a few months during emergency remote teaching,” states the study.
The issue of accessibility is however not fully addressed by in-person classes, as many schools in South Africa are remote and it takes time for students to reach them. According to an Amnesty International report: “Some children walk for between 30 minutes and an hour to get to their educational institution, meaning it is likely to be more than 3km travel.” This, the organisation says, is despite the fact that the Departments of Transport and Basic Education are required to provide transport to the students.
Physical and social interactions
One of the obvious benefits of in-person learning is the physical interaction that has been the norm in the past. Sharing a physical space with learners can make facilitating lessons, conducting discussions and making use of experiential learning easier and more natural. Most people enjoy interacting in person, and group energy can heavily influence the mood and outcome of a learning experience. Effective communication is key to successful learning; this does not mean that communication cannot happen in a virtual setting, but rather that it might take some getting used to and need a bit more effort to engage learners.
Traditionally, the school yard has also been where socialisation and relationship building happen. Historically this was considered easier in person, but with technological advancements and increased social media, video and messaging platforms this is fast changing. With many social interactions moving into digital spaces, parents may be afforded more control over the type of relationships and the people their children form them with. A digital footprint also acts as an accountability measure, and can help sensitise children to the impacts and implications of negative social interactions such as bullying.
While some social interactions can damage self-esteem and mental health, friendships and positive in-person conversations can also benefit learner wellbeing, reduce stress and lower anxiety levels.
Many parents fear that socialisation and social engagement might be lacking in children who attend school remotely, but many online institutions offer virtual opportunities for learners to connect. The University of Cape Town (UCT) Online High School offers students a support coach, and claims that the multi-layered support systems give their learners all the encouragement, tools, and support they need to master their own destiny. Other online schools host virtual debates, online clubs for chess or other activities, and even coordinate remote choir rehearsals and performances — despite the fact that not a single learner is singing in the same physical space.
Hybrid education: Reaping the benefits of both
Since both virtual and in-person lessons fall short, experts say a hybrid option can be explored as a more viable, futureproofed learning experience. Hybrid or blended learning serves to combine online and traditional learning approaches, with the aim to deliver the most effective teaching method for every context.
Many students (and their parents) are not yet willing to make the shift towards a fully virtual learning experience, and hybrid learning can be a convenient way to ease learners into being more comfortable with working remotely. This is necessary, as many companies realise that physical presence does not necessarily mean more productivity.
In a hybrid environment, where in-person interactions and online learning resources are combined, children and adolescents can still experience traditional socialisation and team work in person, while fostering skills such as selfmanagement, responsibility and independence when working remotely. Experts agree that a blended learning model meets the needs of most mainstream learners, while allowing them to stay abreast of the digital skills required going forward.