Opportunities for successful electronic communication have exploded in the last several years, and many instructors are excited to take advantage of these resources in their teaching. One popular method is “hybrid” courses, in which learning activities shift online for reduced face-to-face interaction and increased online interaction. This workshop series is primarily geared toward faculty who are new to the experience of redesigning a course for hybrid delivery, but faculty with more experience (or with a goal of blended rather than hybrid delivery) are also welcome to participate and revise their courses. All workshops function as active “faculty learning communities” so that faculty share experience and offer perspective on course design to peers while creating their own hybrid courses. The workshop series includes face-to-face meetings, webinars, and asynchronous discussions to expose the participants to the experience of each instructional mode.
Workshop Objectives:
- Participants will discuss research, principles, tools, and examples of best practices in designing and teaching hybrid courses.
- Participants will apply these principles to draft course documents (syllabi, activities, assessments, plans for encouraging and evaluating participation in the two modes, etc.) and prepare for the course approval process.
- Participants will experience what it is like to be learners in a hybrid course and apply that experience when designing a hybrid course.
- Participants will build connections with other faculty who are doing the same work, creating a community of peer professional development.
Workshop Facilitator: Dr. Rosemary Capps, CETL
Week 1: Understanding Hybrid Learning
Tuesday, February 14, 3:30-5:30pm (in-person)
Hybrid, blended, e-learning, online learning—many overlapping terms seem to be on everyone’s lips. In this workshop, we will look at examples from across the spectrum of technology-enhanced learning environments, review research on what works and what doesn’t in hybrid classes, and discuss what blend of face-to-face and online learning is best for the courses you teach. This is the introductory session for a faculty learning community on designing hybrid courses, so we will also devote time to collaboratively establishing norms of practice and communication.
Week 2: Hybrid Learning Design Overview: Strategies and Tools
Tuesday, February 21, 3:30-5:30pm (in-person)
A high-quality class starts with solid course architecture—and this foundation is particularly important when moving to a new mode of instruction, like hybrid. In this workshop, we will practice combining familiar best practices like student learning outcomes with new tools for integrating the online and face-to-face portions of a hybrid class. This session also includes an introduction to the concept of “universal design” in preparation for later discussions of ADA-compatible hybrid course planning.
Week 3: Interaction in Hybrid Learning Environments
Wednesday, February 29, 4-6pm (webinar)
The synergy of interaction is a crucial aspect of effective learning processes. In this workshop, we will discuss the kinds of interaction best facilitated in online and face-to-face environments, evaluate the pros and cons of online tools based on the interaction they foster, and get practical tips for teaching students to build a community of learners in the classroom and online.
Week 4: Assessing Learning in a Hybrid Course
Tuesday, March 6, 3:30-5:30pm (webinar)
In this workshop, we’ll review best practices and research on assessment in hybrid courses. We will also explore tools that support formative (non-graded feedback) and summative (graded) assessment both online and face-to-face. Working with other faculty members, we’ll adapt our existing assessment strategies to the specific challenges and opportunities in hybrid courses and align our course goals with module-level goals.
Week 5: Adapting or Creating Content for Hybrid Delivery
Tuesday, March 13, 3:30-5:30pm (in-person)
At the heart of university learning are the bodies of disciplinary knowledge we create and disseminate. In this workshop, we’ll explore tools for sharing our content expertise with students to take advantage of the unique opportunities of hybrid course format. Whether you use existing materials or create your own, you will plan for providing ADA-compliant course materials and establishing or obtaining appropriate copyright permissions.
Week 6: Academic Integrity in Hybrid Courses
March 19-23 (asynchronous online discussion forum)
This week, the group will continue through an online forum discussion of integrity and privacy issues in hybrid courses. We will discuss how online environments and tools affect interaction, expectations, and assessment, critique structural solutions such as commercial proctoring services, and construct pedagogical solutions that fit the blend of the hybrid course we are each currently designing. Note: participants will also take charge of moderating the forum by turns to apply principles of student interaction discussed in earlier workshops.
Break: March 26-30
Week 7: Quality Assurance in Hybrid Courses
April 2-6 (asynchronous online discussion forum)
This week, we will have another online forum discussion to explore standards for hybrid courses at UC Davis and peer institutions. We will review current UC Davis policies for quality of instruction, use sample rubrics from other institutions to peer review each other’s course documents, and hear practical advice from course approval committee members on how to prepare a hybrid course for the approval process.
Week 8: Implementing Hybrid Learning
Tuesday, April 10, 3:30-5:30pm (tentative date and time, in-person)
We will wrap up our course with a discussion of how to work with the rest of the institutional team that has a stake in making hybrid courses succeed: deans and department chairs, other faculty, librarians, student support staff, and instructional technology staff. In this workshop, we’ll plan for realistic course development timelines, learn how to make the most of support resources and personnel, and collaborate with peers to assess and build institutional readiness.