Hybrid Class
Introduction
Online class is a method of teaching through the online blackboard, electronic mail, and other significant tools on the Internet with the help of the professors or instructors. The students are no longer required to attend the class as the traditional class does. All the assignments and activities are being completed at home or at the convenience of the students. Evidently, nowadays, the online class id rapidly growing. Correspondingly, many colleges and universities offer courses through the online class. In comparison, the traditional class is the most common teaching style in education. Specifically, the traditional class takes place in classrooms or known as the face-to-face instructions with the instructors and classmates physically present in the classroom. The students are required to attend the class during the classroom discussion with the teacher teaching the subject matter. In addition, the attendance of the student is part of the learning instruction wherein the students are obliged to follow the course in order to complete the course they are enrolled in the semester. While the online class some believe that it is a potential to learn more and provides better services to the student at their own convenience with the flexibility of their time. The higher education colleges and universities using the traditional learning have great efforts to meet the fast growing demand for education from the non-traditional students as many are turning to hybrid and online courses. On the other hand, the online class and the traditional class have its advantages and disadvantages in terms of learning. In this research paper, the advantages and disadvantages of the online and traditional classes in learning will be presented. Through the hybrid class as the best substitute from the online and traditional classes, the students’ learning can be improved and most students can benefit from it.
The online class differs in many ways with the traditional class because it provides more flexible time. For example, the online class requires the students to send emails or to post queries on the discussion board and the members of the class can provide answers or comments. On the other hand, the traditional class provides the students the chance to have a face-to-face interaction with their classmates and teachers in the classroom. Accordingly, the traditional class adds social benefits and educational aid; the students physically see their classmates and create a friendship in person. Considering the higher learning, the students can have potential connections in the traditional class, and on the educational art, the students have the chance to participate directly and physically during the class discussion. From the articles, readings, and thorough research, it does not only demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of the online class and traditional class, it explains the third type of class, the hybrid class. A hybrid class consists of the online class and the traditional class with better benefits for the students. In addition, a hybrid incorporates the face-to-face classroom instruction with the online components, wherein the students would participate outside the regular class. It implies that a hybrid class creates the better of the two classes, the traditional, and the online classes in a single course and it offers relevant advantages for the students, teachers, and the entire school.
During the collection of data, it has been a great experience to learn that the hybrid class includes both the face-to-face class and the online class with its better benefits and lesser disadvantages. It is a combination of the traditional classroom meetings with the online techniques or strategies. The combination brings better results, especially in the learning of the students and their instructors. In fact, the hybrid class spends about less than 50 percent of the time in the classroom and more time for the alternative location. The technology prevails most of the traditional learning concepts and focuses on the teacher-student interactions. However, the hybrid class is not commonly used in universities abroad and other educational institution at present. Thus, this study needs more information to demonstrate the advantages of a hybrid class. Through the collection of additional information, it helps the public to be aware of this type of class. In the future, the hybrid class may possibly the best substitute the traditional class and the online class.
In order to see that a hybrid class is a better type of educational learning, it is necessary to test the differences between the traditional class and the online class in terms of its disadvantages. Then, a thorough analysis is necessary to determine how the hybrid class handles the disadvantages of the online and traditional classes. Most importantly, the complaints among the students and teachers about online and traditional classes would be of great help in the research and prove that the hybrid class is a better type of learning. Thus, this study appeals more schools to attempt to consider and open hybrid class. A way to provide the students the choice to study using another method and they will receive a better learning through the hybrid class learning style. The multiple learning styles provide the students more opportunity to study and obtain more knowledge with ease and convenience.
Methodology
Research Questions and Methodology
The research topic is about, how a hybrid class is the best substitute for traditional class and online class. The topic is developed with the several research questions to collect relevant information and good sources for the research paper. First, good definitions are presented in the research study such as hybrid class, online class, and traditional class in order to understand the terms in all aspects. Thus, the readers can understand every definition that is defined in this research study. Second, the study presented the advantages of the hybrid class and from the research questions, it shows the information that the hybrid class is better than other types of classes. Third, the study demonstrated the disadvantages of the online and traditional classes and supported by information that the hybrid class can improve the disadvantages of the two classes. Last, the study illustrated the technique how to generalize a new type of class to create more opportunities in order that the students learn more ideas and knowledge. The purpose of the research is to collect all the information about a hybrid class to allow other students understand the entire aspects and benefits for a better learning.
Participants
This research study is useful to the students enrolled in colleges and universities. In addition, every college student has the opportunity to relate to the topic. During the research process, all relevant articles are considered written by different authors and educators from different universities or institutions. The respective authors and educators have the authority to share the information regarding the information about the online, traditional, and hybrid classes. In addition, the articles written by the students who undergone a hybrid class are highly considered. The previous students have the direct knowledge about hybrid class and can share significant information. Thus, the combined knowledge of the authors, students, and educators can help provide comprehensive information to the research.
Data and Collection Procedures
Based on the topic, the study provides the definitions of the terms such as the online class, traditional class and hybrid class. Several websites and articles are used in the study, especially the articles from the academic website. Some articles discussed both the advantages and disadvantages of a hybrid class and other articles only focused on one aspect. From the articles and a magazine, the disadvantages of the online class and traditional classes are collected. Most of the information discussed has a generalized concept of a hybrid class since it is a good substitute for the online class. In addition, it has the information that the hybrid class can improve the disadvantages of the other two classes. This study aims to inform more individuals and consider studying using the hybrid class. Generally, survey questionnaires are provided to the 16 UTC participants about the hybrid class for them to answer it. As a result, most of the students agreed that the hybrid class is a good substitute in learning and willing to take the class in the future. In fact, 12 out of 16 students are interested to take the hybrid class and the university will offer it soon.
Data Analysis Procedures
In the data analysis, all the collected data and relevant information are used for further analysis. Particularly, the significant data are used for the online and traditional classes. The analysis shows that the online class is easier to some students and others are interested to the traditional class. Finally, hybrid class is characterized as a good substitute because there are ways to achieve it.
Results and Findings
Disadvantages of Online Class
Most individuals are familiar with the online class as it grows fast in terms of learning for many years. During the primary research process, the study encountered that the online class has some disadvantages among the students and teachers. For example, the tech-savvy students cheat to make their online course easy and difficult to detect; they are cheating and with minimal work to do. It implies that cheating is one of the critical issues happening in the online class and cheating is an offense in a class setting. Similarly, a result of a survey affirmed that the frequency of cheating in the online class is high, about 57.2 percent agreed that it is easier to cheat in the online class and only 15.7 percent agreed that it is difficult to cheat. From this result, it only shows that those students enrolled in the online class cheated in doing their work performances in the class. It is important to develop the good attitude towards learning without cheating. Particularly, the students have the difficulty to communicate with the professor to help them improve their social and communication skills. The only way the students can communicate with their instructor is through e-mail. Evidently, electronic mail is less most effective way to communicate with others compared to the face-to-face interaction. As a comparison between the primary and secondary research outcomes, it has similar outcome of opinions that the students should obtain a fair score from their honest efforts and the instructor should establish strict regulations in order to have good results of the examination without supervision.
After finding the disadvantages of the online class, the study demonstrates the combination of the traditional and online classes known as the hybrid class. The hybrid class compensates the disadvantages of the online class. It requires the students to take their examination at the school with the supervision of the designated examination proctors. Through the help of the proctors, the students cannot manage to cheat during the examination and it is a way to lessen the cheating issues in the online class. In addition, the hybrid class allows the students a specific time with the professor for queries and the students learn more knowledge from the course. In this way, the students have a better communication compared with the online video conference with their instructor. Meeting with the professor is necessary for the students and they have the opportunity to solve issues during the course. Thus, it serves as an advantage to surpass the barriers in the online class.
Disadvantages of Traditional Class
The traditional class is the most teaching methods used in many colleges and universities. However, the traditional class has its disadvantages in terms of time and costs for traveling. It implies that the students have a hard time coming to school early, especially those who are leaving from distant places and the traveling expenses is high. Correspondingly, the traditional class does not have the flexible time and it affects the learning of the students. Particularly, the working students face difficult moment to manage their work and study that results in conflict of schedule. Above all, it is difficult for the working students to choose whether they resign from work or stop going to school. For them, both activities are very important, their work and their study.
Hybrid Class Generalization
As a new type of learning method, a hybrid class is new to some colleges and universities. However, this study is one way to inform the readers that the hybrid class, though, have disadvantages, still it is a better substitute in learning compared to the traditional and the online classes. The hybrid class can improve most of the disadvantages of the traditional class and the online class. In order to generalize the hybrid class, this study has collected some generalized methods. Advertising is a good method to generalize some a new thing like the hybrid class. However, the interested individuals with the capacity to invest are needed to implement this type of learning method fully. As of the moment, the hybrid class needs to consider significant things; the students, and the investment. The students’ learning is the priority to develop their knowledge and skills. It is necessary that the hybrid should be built up in the schools, do some survey, and inform the public about its advantages and effectiveness. Correspondingly, the cooperation of the schools is very important because it is with them this type of learning starts. Moreover, the students who are interested to have a hybrid class can make some suggestion to the school as a sort of request. On the other hand, some schools who offered the hybrid class are successfully operating and a proof that the hybrid class is effective. The students who had the hybrid class can spread the information. In this way, it is an appropriate way to generalize hybrid class to the public.
Considering the primary data, part of the survey is from the TUC in the university of Cincinnati campus. The survey shows that most of the students are interested to have the hybrid class if the school will offer it. Similarly, part of the survey is from the internet and the result is illustrated in the chart below.
Chart 1.
As per result, the survey shows that 26 percent are having the hybrid class, 23 percent as previous students, and 31 percent as non-takers, but willing to have hybrid class in the future. However, 30 percent says that the hybrid class did not go well with them. Considering the data, it proves that the hybrid class is well-accepted by most students or individuals.
Conclusion
Hybrid class can be the best substitution of the online class and the traditional class. It can successfully improve the disadvantage of other two types of class, the online clas and traditional class. A hybrid class has many forms, yet, there is no certain structure that is needs to be followed. Based on the individual course content, the students, and the learning objectives of the course, it is all the decision of the instructor to decide what should go online and what should take place in the physical classroom. In the hybrid class, the students can understand clearly of the course through the assistance of the instructor. As a result, the students can learn the context effectively by themselves. On the other hand, the professor can meet the students before the semester ends to help the students with their problems of the course individually. In comparison, the hybrid class successfully reduced the chance of cheating during the examination. It also gives the students the opportunity to solve their academic problems from their self-learning technique. Professors can suggest the students to create a learning group with their classmates in order to improve their communication skills aside from learning by themselves. The hybrid class can save more resource and the students can save the traveling time and in going to the class.
In conclusion, I would suggest that reducing the tuition fee of hybrid class can benefit both the students and the school. The student who would take the hybrid class can obtain more flexible learning schedule and experience. They can make their own learning schedule according to their preferences or convenience. On the other hand, the student can save energy and they are not requiredto go to school everyday. Education is the most important factor to encourage individuals to develop their knowledge and skills. It is an advantage to improve the education system. Overall, all the advantages of hybrid class are the key to share the information to the public its effectiveness. The hybrid class is a best substitute for the traditional and online classes to develop a better education. Hybrid class is a new and a good way to teach and learn and all the students deserve to experience thid type of learning method.
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