There can be an equal balance in how much workload we’re supposed to do.
After a year and a half later of online learning, the students, staff and faculty are back to in-person classes. No more relying on a steady internet connection just to hear a lecture. No more blacked out screens on the right side. Even though online learning cannot be as riveting as in-person, there are some classes that students wouldn’t mind to be online. Also, there must be times where they were not happy with a class due to other reasons. There can be a balance between online and in-person: hybrid learning.
Hybrid learning is where some students attend class in-person, while others attend class online. In some cases, hybrid classes include asynchronous learning elements, like online exercises and pre-recorded video instructions, to support face-to-face classroom sessions. Hybrid courses combine the best parts of in-person and online learning to tailor a learning experience for the students.
In-person learning is beneficial for those who want a more focused environment. Desi Schulz, first-year business student, she prefers in-person classes because it’s easier for her to “pay attention to the teacher” rather than online. Mariam Sarang, second year community social services student, likes in-person classes because she can interact with her peers and the professors essentially. While Mariam thinks that being in-person is better than online learning, she would like “a mix of the two.”
Online learning can benefit students who have classes at times that are not good for them. Especially for students who must commute to school. Mariam thinks online classes are beneficial when there’s night classes because it would be easier due to “less commute time and it’ll be easier to focus on the course,” she said.
Hybrid is not just good for students but can be for staff as well. There are some events where some people show up more than others. That is a fact that Liana Acri-Rosa learned for herself.
Acri-Rosa is a Student Life coordinator, who represents the Student Life team. She promotes co-curricular records, supports transition programs for new students, supervises student positions, and administrative support to Student Life. She also works with the CliftonStrengths program, where they offer do one-on-one peer coaching and facilitate workshops.
Holding virtual events allowed more “flexibility” for students to join in, she says. Student orientation is their most popular event and it saw a difference in doing it online last year. The students who use to commute can join the events that they weren’t able to do before. “There were some events more events people didn’t show up, some did for more,” Acri-Rosa says. “It changed the nature of the roles and how they were operating.”
