Hybrid Learning vs Online Classes: 37 Key Points to Ponder

Know more about hybrid learning and compare it with online classes. Here are 17 advantages of hybrid classes and 15 advantages and 5 disadvantages of online classes.

Let’s together do a thorough analysis by breaking down into components the features of education in the new normal. A detailed examination of anything complex into a simplified one helps determine its essential components. Doing so maintains a firm ground despite of the adversities that COVID-19 pandemic brings. Global disasters like the pandemic opens opportunities for the development of different methodologies and approaches to learning.

Which one of the two categories of the new normal learning, namely hybrid learning and online classes, would parents and kids choose that will best serve their interests?

Which one would definitely be satisfactory for the learners that would fully equip them for the outside world after school?

Which one would be a surreal, favorable opportunity for your kids’ and students’ future?

Which one would be more appropriately befitting for the studies of children?

Both the parents and the kids alike face the need for a straightforward decision on which mode of learning they would prefer to pursue the goal of educating their kids from elementary to high school to college.

The parents are impudently faced and somewhat attuned near the edge at the two or more equally workable alterations in education as adaptation to the recent pandemic. They need to carefully decide which option to take after due consideration.

Two Categories of New Normal Studies

There are two categories of new normal teaching approaches that brew during and after the severe onslaught of the pandemic: hybrid learning and online learning. The application of these two modes of learning brings us to the ask the following questions:

• How is Hybrid Learning defined versus online learning?
• What are the essential components of these learning approaches?
• Are the medium of instruction, outline and manual of technical procedure in line with your child’s future goal?

I expound on these two learning approaches in the next section.

Hybrid Learning or Blended Learning

Hybrid learning refers to an orderly sequential combination of both the online class (OC) and the face-to-face classes, where the participants see each other physically, not virtually. In this mode of learning, the school will hold a balance medium of learning between holding online classes during MWF, the period during which such several students meet via special computer program online… and face-to-face classes on TTh where a body of students meet regularly 2x a week to study the same subjects. This is the setup in most of the private schools.

Online Classes

Online classes purely focus its medium of instruction via a 100% networked class. This entails a very distinct segment of a computer program aligned with the efficiency of honing the education of each student.

Further, in tune with the full event, it is a mixture of anything emphasizing the use of gadgets, apps, magnetic discs, and or other technicalities on which educational info may be specially stored.

I enumerate the advantages of hybrid learning and online classes as well as the disadvantages of holding online classes.

17 Advantages of Hybrid Learning

The following are the advantages of hybrid learning:

1. Students will have a suitably fit interactions in a physical classroom setting on face-to-face learning combined with online classes.
2. Cut down on transport expenditures as classes are not daily anymore or only on a MWF schedule for some schools.
3. A developed socialization skills. Hybrid learning makes active and promotes the growth of building a student’s character with a larger group.
4. Develops teamwork ability in your child and makes a visible work by several associates or co-teammates, each doing and contributing an important part for a common end goal in their school projects.
5. Enables students to gain more friends through school camping (e.g. girl scout), annual educational field trips, sports activities, etc.
6. Enhances good camaraderie, heightens the spirit of friendly good fellowship, favorable character, and improves the interpersonal skills of your child.
7. Increased or advanced resources with both access to the school’s physical library on MWF face-to- face learning, plus net research engine with online classes on TTH.
8. Teachers are predominantly more hands on with Hybrid Learning or Hybrid Hyflex classes.
9. Your child most likely will have an expected productive, progressive growth and a develop a mode of thinking marked by intellect and rational mind. He can have a comprehensive interaction with members of the same class and generations in school or college.
10. The teachers can determine the logical development and accurately assess the performance of the students.
11. The teachers can explain better the division of a course of instruction with their lesson plans.
12. Teachers get to talk through, express and exchange ideas, then to be acquainted and be familiarized with each of the students on a more personal level and get to appreciate them.
13. A psychological necessity for the wellbeing of students to ventilate, oxygenate the lungs and brains and go out after the stressful 3 years stint at home with covid-19 pandemic on the rise before.
14. Students can do other productive things just as teachers do.
15. It allows educators to learn essential online technologies like video development, and the net instructional developing. Both teachers and students learn many net application technologies like Moodle, or similar learning management systems and a lot more. Teachers discover more teaching methodologies for face-to-face application.
16. It allows teachers to have a better schedule and ample time to improve skills both in developing materials online and in face-to-face lessons.
17. Gives a sizeable quality time with the family both for the educators and students alike, as teachers only have to go to school 3x a week for hybrid learning.

15 Advantages of Online Classes

The following are the advantages of online classes:

1. Economize on cash allowance. Parents save on a sum granted for a cost-of-living allowance for studies.
2. Spends less on fuel. Parents can have a specified lower cost of energy gas with kids at home.
3. Your children will not be totally drained of strength and endurance travelling to and from the school, most especially if the school is situated at a considerable distance from home, say half an hour or more.
4. Less risk and to a progressively smaller size or extent on physical bullying for your child. Low risk of susceptibility in a state conditioning marked by a high level of physical aggression in school and bullying from students who have received a small amount of love and care from their own parents, thus they result in bullying at school.
5. Pupils and students don’t have to wake up early mornings anymore since they’ll be just at home schooling and give time to some other pertinent things like making some school projects, school papers, etc.
6. The tediously tiresome traffic to and from school will be avoided both by students and parents. Obviously worn out working parents already from long hardwork and business meetings on top of traffic jams will be avoided. And you help mother earth recuperate on much man made pollutants like the emission of gas and many others.
7. No need to use school facilities like air-conditioned classrooms, computers, lights, science laboratories, etc. Hence, the schools can save on their monthly recurring bills and you get to help save mother earth by utilizing less electricity.
8. Not obliged or no need to go to school. Plus factor—your child will have a systematic channel of communications and educational information. Students can work at their own pace with online learning.
9. Shortened sessions with online classes. Thus, solely the significant matters are distinctly discussed. This results in a better customary moment on other essential things and educational materials for students the following days. For example, class interactions, presentations and reporting will be in a duration of the regular 1 hour. Whilst, your educational meetings and class discussions will be for 30 minutes to 40 minutes.
10. More variations for applications of intellectual or mental faculties for the acquisition of better knowledge. Plus more study materials to search for to make use of the online Google Search and other search engines online for school assignments and projects.
11. Suitably a convenience of both students and teachers alike, as you won’t be under obligations to go out of the house and consume exhaustingly or consume wastefully on transport fuel.
12. Lower risk of vehicular accidents and other physical accident.
13. Easier access to the massive learning materials. You can easily find your references online, and rich multi-media materials, including images and YouTube videos. A much faster and better access to educational materials is also made possible.
14. Students get to confidently respond more actively through online chat, it boost confidence in their capabilities and intellect. Whilst they get a bit timidly unsure about face-to-face discussions and interactions.
15. A child will somehow make an ample measurable extra time for relaxation mode after finishing his quizzes, periodic tests, class assignments, and projects on time.

The Hybrid Learning focuses on using both the traditional face-to-face learning and online learning on an “EQUAL” implementation. Whilst the Blended Learning includes any “UNBALANCED mix” of the two (online plus face to face).

5 Disadvantages of Online Classes

Although there are many benefits derived from holding online classes, there observed disadvantages, too. I present a list below:

1. No engagement at all with intellectual interactions and dealings with other co-learners at school. No variable interchange of ideas, opinions, and related sentiments.
2. Radiation on 8 hours per day exposure to computers. That’s about 40 hours per week, 160 hours per month.
3. Poor eyesight with too much and or more than what is necessary vulnerability to the elements of radioactive components from computers and gadgets.
4. Less body movement for your child as it entails sitting for 8 hours per day on the computer chair.
5. Too much exposure on computing devices, electronic computers, digital analogue, holograms and data processors on a day-to-day basis that may unfortunately impede with the learning ability, mental capacity and brain of your child with online learning.

Recommendations

The following are recommendations based on the aforementioned characteristics of both hybrid learning and online classes:

1. Implementation of online classes solely for the graduate school, master’s degree and doctorate degree. They need this program the most as students usually have a full-time job 5days a week during weekdays. Online classes are much applicable to the graduate school levels.
2. Implementation of Hybrid or Hyflex Learning is more suitable for the elementary, high school and college levels. They need a balanced life with a combination of online classes and face-to-face classes on MWF. This actually implies your child gets the best of both worlds in the blended online classes and hybrid learning at the same time.
3. Allocate enough funds for the online activities. Support the internet needs of teachers. A PhP500.00 monthly budget allocation for the net allowance of teachers is absolutely inadequate. While preparing for the lesson plans, you have to do an ample related research which takes too long for hours with net signal problems that take too long and keep loading and loading. The weekly quizzes and periodic tests preparation takes too long as well, on top of recurring class discussions, interactions and presentations. Hence, a need to uplift the net budget of educators.
4. Train teachers on online methodologies, effective online teaching approaches because our educational approach is still 90% traditional. Should train under the expert guidance on online approaches. How is this possible? By allocating sustainable funds for an in-depth training on online teaching and online learning. Hire the expertise in online teaching like:
   1. Experts in online teaching in Coursera which is totally costly as you will pay in dollars,
   2. Experts from established online schools like the UP Open University. Get the expertise of trainers there,
   3. Other innovative approaches developed during the pandemic, like the Blended Website Model.

Bible Verses Related to Learning

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Proverb 9:10

I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.

Psalm 32:8

All your sons will be taught of the Lord; and the well-being of your sons will be great.

Isaiah 54:13

And that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Timothy 3:15

References

Alapan 1 Elementary School (2022). How To Reduce The Negative Effects Of Online Learning?. Retrieved 11 July 2022, from https://alapan1es.com/2022/06/27/negative-effects-of-online-learning/

Jamison, A., Kolmos, A., & Holgaard, J. E. (2014). Hybrid learning: An integrative approach to engineering education. Journal of Engineering Education, 103(2), 253-273.

Mossavar-Rahmani, F., & Larson-Daugherty, C. (2007). Supporting the hybrid learning model: A new proposition. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 3(1), 67-78.

Olapiriyakul, K., & Scher, J. M. (2006). A guide to establishing hybrid learning courses: Employing information technology to create a new learning experience, and a case study. The Internet and Higher Education, 9(4), 287-301.

Penn State University, n.d. What is hybrid learning? Retrieved July 10, 2022 from https://sites.psu.edu/hybridlearning/what-is-hybrid/

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