Journal 2: Student Views of Hybrid Learning

Student Views of Hybrid Learning: A One-Year Exploratory Study by Qiuyun Lin

In my experience with online courses, I struggled with the format. I felt lost. I had to make it a point to stay on top of the work and reading in order to fare well. In the end, I did well but had to work harder to that end. I was in charge of managing my time and teaching myself the material which took a lot of focus and energy. In the findings of the article, although students perceived they learned more through FTF instruction, their course performance was no different than the online students, as mine had been. Researchers related their findings to different learning styles of students.

Q1: Do students manage to do well in online classes simply because they are forced to push themselves to be independent learners?

A1: I think so. Although it was difficult for me, being in an online class forced me to take responsibility for what I learned.

Q2: Would a hybrid course offer the best of both worlds?

A2: Yes. Although I did become a more independent learner in the online course, it took an excessive amount of time to absorb the material. Therefore, a hybrid class would be more effective for a wider range of learners. Our Educ 422 class is a good example. When I am lost, the face time at the beginning is really helpful. Yet, from that point on I am responsible for what I get done in the allotted time. This way, I am absorbing the information faster, but still able to work independently.