Remote learning enabled educational institutions to keep teaching and learning going when it would not otherwise have been possible. But in a new phase for education, colleges and universities must go beyond remote learning as an emergency measure. How can they make it sustainable and fully effective, for a future that will likely include ‘hybrid’ models that mix on-campus and online participation?  

Going beyond survival mode

2020 was one of the most difficult years in living memory for educators and students worldwide. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, universities and colleges managed to continue education through hard work, determination and technology.

Remote learning replaced on-campus learning as the primary method of delivering education – due to sheer necessity rather than preference. Rather than a long-planned strategic move, it was driven by the urgent need to deliver education by any means available. But, going forward, remote learning has transitioned from being a stopgap into a firm fixture of the education landscape.

The rise of hybrid

Hybrid learning is being adopted by educational institutions everywhere. In hybrid learning models, students may attend lectures and seminars either online or in person, for all manner of reasons. These include their personal needs and preference or wider directives from the institutions or government.

Hybrid learning has its own challenges beyond those of remote learning. It involves unifying student groups composed of both types of attendee and providing consistently high-quality experiences for both. And, crucially, hybrid also poses issues for educators and other staff-members.

New kinds of sessions for lecturers

In ‘traditional’ on-campus teaching modes, lecturers were dealing with a relatively simple scenario: one audience in one venue. Fully remote learning brought its own teething problems and issues, but beyond those, it too was a case of one audience in one venue – albeit a digital one. With hybrid learning, however, there are new complexities and challenges.

For smooth and effective hybrid seminars and lectures, educational institutions need to consider factors like these:

• How easy is it for lecturers to start a hybrid session? Is it as simple and fast as a few clicks, or is it a lengthy/complex process that may require some assistance?
• Can educators present to remote and on-campus students effectively? Are the sketches and notes they make available and clearly visible to both?
• Is it simple for students to join sessions remotely? The alternative is disruption, wasted time or even non-attendance.
• Are remote students engaged and able to participate fully? Otherwise, they might as well simply be passively watching a video.

Poor hybrid teaching experiences can have a great impact on educators. They want to concentrate on practicing their vocation, to engage and inspire, instead of grappling with technology frustrations or disconnected and disengaged students. And the better their experiences at an educational institution, the more likely they are to want to keep teaching there.