The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

Blended courses brew convenience

  • More professors are experimenting with "hybrid" courses, a mixture of in-class and online learning.
  • In this format, professors eliminate a certain number of class periods, with online material taking their place.
  • Online material can be presented in modes like text, podcasts and PowerPoint presentations with voice overs from the professor.
  • Other technological methods of teaching a class include "clickers," or hand-held devices for instantaneous polling of students.

By allowing students to substitute online learning for a few hours in the classroom, "hybrid" courses can add some convenience to the chaos of college life.

In a traditional hybrid, or blended, course, professors place about 20 percent or more of class material online, said Jon Pray, associate vice provost for educational technology. This material replaces some in-class learning, allowing professors to eliminate a certain number of class meetings throughout the semester.

An increasing number of faculty are teaching hybrid courses, Pray said.

The largest benefit of this class structure is convenience, according to Pray. It allows students to view the course content when it's suitable for them. This especially helps those with full- or part-time jobs, he said.

Less time in the classroom can also make hybrid courses more environmentally friendly.

"Commuters and faculty can save gas money and be carbon neutral (by staying home)," Pray said.

Marquette faculty members primarily use the Desire 2 Learn program for posting course material online, Pray said. The different modes of presenting the information include podcasts, text and PowerPoint presentations with voiceovers from the professor.

Jay Caulfield, associate dean and director of graduate programs in the College of

Professional Studies, has taught about 70 hybrid courses over the last 10 years. She said she believes the style works because it forces everyone, including the professor, to interact with course material before coming to class. Thus, students are ready to participate when the class meets.

Caulfield has taught both undergraduate and graduate hybrid courses. She believes hybrid is more effective with graduate students.

"Undergraduates are looking for more frequency (of face-to-face time) and continuity," Caulfield said.

For students who want immediate responses to questions, hybrid courses can be disappointing, Caulfield said. It also involves more work for professors to manage technology and to plan the course.

Heidi Schweizer, an associate professor in the College of Education, has taught an undergraduate education course in the hybrid format. She said a few students found the online environment disconnecting. Nevertheless, the online component of the course allowed for reflective dialogue through discussion boards.

"(Hybrid learning) creates a more student-centered learning environment, and students take more responsibility in their learning," Schweizer said. "What they learn is more apt to be applied in later classes."

Susan Spoerk, a graduate student, said the only downside of hybrid courses is taking time to print out all the material. Nevertheless, she said it is convenient having all the documents available in one readily accessible format.

Cynthia Echols, a first-year graduate student, said hybrid courses offer a flexible schedule for students trying to balance school demands with outside commitments. At the same time, students can work together to learn in the classroom.

"You can have that wonderful dialogue around the topic you're studying," Echols said.

Other Technology in Teaching

Steven Crane, an associate professor of economics, has utilized the hybrid style in an MBA course, BUAD 210: Managerial Economics. Class time is cut in half, with the rest of the instruction taking place online.

Crane utilizes multiple forms of technology to teach his classes. Besides posting a variety of media on D2L, he uses "clickers" in a few of his classes. The hand-held devices allow professors to poll students and view the results instantaneously in large lectures.

"It's a way to get interaction and an exchange of information in a large setting that's not conducive to it," Crane said. "Most people won't volunteer and say 'I don't get it' in a large class."

However, the devices do have drawbacks. Students usually have to foot the $30 to $40 bill for a clicker, only to find that different classes may use different models, Crane said. The polling exercise also chews up class time.

"Some professors might not think (the clickers) pay off, and they might not be conducive to all classes," Crane said.

Professors should use technology in a classroom for the right reasons, Crane said.

"Not every technology is good," Crane said. "Using technology for its own sake or because you can doesn't make sense. But if it can offer benefits to the instructional process, then why not?"

View an excerpt of a presentation here

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