Learning community engagement: hybrid and blended learning environments

 Hybrid and Blended Learning Environments 





   Hybrid learning environments are opportunities for people to interact and manage their schedules to achieve higher education. One thing that educators and designers must consider before creating hybrid learning is to establish learning and content objectives. (Alvero College, 2020) Hybrid learning is also the combination of traditional learning and online learning. Therefore, It is critical to include the social and emotional components when planning for it. Educators cannot assume that all technological tools are easy to manipulate for learners. Instead, all the instructions and examples must facilitate and engage students to continue learning. Creating examples and using meaningful, real-life scenarios can motivate learners to participate more. 

   

   Keeping in mind that on the other side of the computer, another human is trying to learn and figure out how to handle programs or resources is a fundamental element to making information clear and precise, and straightforward. Also, providing feedback and offering options to answer questions or check in if needed is critical. Supporting learning and helping them to feel a part of a group is essential. 


Creating hybrid and Blended learning experiences:



  • Setting goals and planning for content based on students' needs
  • providing continued support and clear instructions/expectations
  • Ask for support and second-eyes review before publishing the course
  • Settle trust by presenting yourself and providing contact information, so learners know what to do in case of questions or concerns
  • Be a part of the class, set reminders, and build a relationship with students.

  • Provide personalized feedback to build a deeper connection and compromise with each learner.
  • Be available sometime to answer questions and offer extra support/guidance.
  • Have a clear knowledge of the tools/programs/platforms that are going to be a part of the class, so you can help students and solve questions easily.
  • Implement a backward design to plan based on student's needs and goals
  • Set clear expectations and make them available online to be reviewed by learners throughout the course.
  • Verify and clarify assignments' accessibility and clarity.
  • Balance the number of assignments and assessments. 


Resources


Increasing Engagement
Best Practices for Teaching Hybrid Classes
Blending Learning


Blended learning reflection exercise: initial outlines + changes + reflections.

Initial outlines:

Title: Implementing Social Justice in virtual learning in K-12
Mode: Hybrid
1. Introduction to topic w/video and a podcast with examples of my work
2. Create a  compare/contrast chart to validate aspects of current education and the lack of social justice in the school system and areas of improvements 
3. Introduce Social justice standards and provide examples
4. In small groups, discussion to analyze how implementing social justice standards could make a difference in K-12
5. Review as a class/check-in
6. Students write an essay to highlight the benefits of implementing social justice in school settings

7. Formative assessment - students build a lesson plan incorporating social justice standards and record themselves teaching the class in a virtual learning setting. 


Changes:
Adding the face-to-face element as a synchronic class could benefit the learners to provide an example or invite a guest teacher who has implemented the method or the author of the book to provide examples and allow discussion where students can ask and learn. 


Reflection
Based on the Best Practices for Teaching Hybrid classes by Alverno College, educators must plan based on students' goals with the backward design. Therefore, for this lesson, I would like to establish a purpose before planning the content to support and benefit the learners in multiple ways. Also, I would like to set specific times to support in-person, by email, or via virtual meetings. I would like students to make this lesson a tool for their real-life lessons in the classroom and virtual scenarios I would also provide alternatives for students that are not working as teachers and would help them find spaces to practice. 




References

Get ready to discover alverno. Alverno College | Alverno College. (2020.). from https://www.alverno.edu/ 

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