Hybrid Education- Definition, Models, Advantages and Dis-advantages

In this modern era, completely offline education can never become fruitful. Every teacher and student carry smartphones with them. If the education system has been converted from online mode to offline mode, the entire society will regress. Students, the future of society are the main concern. The pandemic situation due to Corona accelerates the education system drastically and shows us that the present era is to give importance to online education. However when the situation will be normal; we, the teachers should opt for Hybrid Education.

Hybrid Education- Definition, Models, Advantages and Dis-advantages

What is Hybrid Education?

The education model or the teaching-learning model can be divided into three categories. These are:

  • Offline education model
  • Blending Education Model
  • Online education model
  • Hybrid education model

From which level the Hybrid Education should be started?

As per my opinion, it should be started from the Class Eight level. Hybrid Education is not at all good for kids. But definitely, the schools can give online projects so that kids become habituated with the online mode. When the kids will be in class eight, they will feel comfortable and the learning will be easy.

Offline Education Model

The oldest method is offline education. This method was active when there were no electronics gadgets. The lessons delivered by the teachers and the books in printed format were the main source of education.

Blending Education Model

Time is changing. A lot of electronic gadgets especially smartphones have taken the place in providing education. The changes have taken place slowly and unknowingly. The YouTube videos have a lot of contributions in this regard. The different educational sites are also teaching the students. Even before the pandemic situation, students became habituated to the blending education models. The students were attending the classes physically but after reaching their home they were watching the online educational videos, they were taking notes from Wikipedia, and other different websites.

For college students, if any student missed the class, he or she used to take a snap and then studied that note from his/her smartphone. This type of education is a blending education model. The modes- online and offline have actually blended unknowingly.

Online Education Model

The current pandemic situation compels the removal of the offline mode from the education system. Then the education system is converted into online education automatically. This model can never provide a good result. The in-taking capacity is not the same for all the students. An effective education model should not be 100% online-based.

Hybrid education model

When there will be no more pandemic situation, the hybrid education model will give the best results. As it is not possible to stay away from electronic gadgets, let us use those in a better way.

When the classroom is equipped with electronic gadgets, the teachers will be available physically in the classroom and also for delivering the online-session as well. Some students may attend the class physically; the rest may attend the class online. This model is known as the hybrid education model.

In this pandemic situation, where maximum people have been vaccinated and still there are restrictions to be followed to eradicate the diseases completely from the earth, schools and colleges should re-open with opting for the hybrid education model.

Now the question will arise when the pandemic situation will not exist anymore. Before the arrival of the question we, the educators should be prepared for selecting this model. For this reason, every educator, the institute should know the advantages and disadvantages of the Hybrid Education Model.

Let us see the advantages of the Hybrid Education Model:

Advantages

Save time

The hybrid Education Model saves time for both – students and teachers. In the era of advanced technology, saving time is a major concern. The time required for reaching the institution can be utilized for other works.

Save cost

The cost required for transport can be utilized for donating the poor people, purchasing the books, etc. This little amount of money may provide great relief to some students.

Remote learning

Distance can’t stop education in the case Hybrid Education Model. They can learn from any location. But for the practical classes and for interaction, they should reach the institutions.

Focused learning

When a teacher teaches some theoretical subject by using a whiteboard, he/she faces no disturbances. As a result, effectiveness increases.

Virtual interaction

Teachers will get sufficient time to interact with all the students within a week. They may keep a record of everything. All students will get the benefit from this interaction.

Competitive education

There will be no institution where only local students are there. Different types of students will be there in the institution. As a result, competition will increase in this model.

Distance does not matter

In this mode of education, flexibility increases. Whether it is learning or teaching, distance does not matter. A student from India can join the class that is held in USA. A teacher of India can teach the students of U.K.

Dis-advantages

The major disadvantage is:

Education depends on Technology

Teaching and learning method is fully dependent on Internet facility. If the net connection is poor, this model will be the worst model. Students will not get interested in attending the virtual classes. This Hybrid Education Model will be monotonous.

There are no other disadvantages in the direction of education. But there are some disadvantages in other areas that will be discussed here.

Lack of physical interaction

Human beings will behave like machines. Due to lack of physical interaction, students will not feel comfortable participating in some events physically. They will always like in participating online activities. Online activities will expand. Gradually, the offline activities will diminish which is not good for the future.

Lack of sharing

Attending the schools/ colleges physically, students enjoy a lot. They share the food with their friends. They take care of their friends if it is required. They fight and love each other. Expressing the varieties of emotions makes their lives enjoyable.

Lack of physical exercise

Transport consumes our money and time- it is right. But simultaneously, it helps to keep our body fit. When the students attend the schools/colleges physically, they walk a lot. They go to the library, they go to the canteen, and they use the staircase. These activities have a major role in keeping our health fit.

Monotonous life at home

When it is Hybrid Education Model, it becomes like home-schooling. Life becomes monotonous at home. Psychologists say that when we change our places, it impacts our minds in a positive way. Working constantly in front of a computer makes our minds tired.

Eye-problems

A long time studying in front of a smartphone / a computer hampers our eyes. Due to this reason, especially for children, this hybrid education model is not at all good.

The things you must ensure before applying this Hybrid Education Model in your Institute

  1. Make sure that you can provide a good internet connection within your campus.
  2. Make sure that your classroom is well equipped with projector, camera facility, recording facility, etc.
  3. Make sure that the teachers are well trained in teaching the students virtually. Each of them should know how to use the white-board.
  4. Make sure that your institute has an E-library. You may start in building the E-library from right now. You may collect the recordings of the classes and the E-notes and store those materials to form a E-library.
  5. Make sure that the recording of the classes will not be made public without the prior permission of the concerned teacher.
  6. You may add another web-browser in your existing website. Name it as E-education materials.
  7. Make the education system laboratory based. Arrange the theory classes virtually. All the practical classes should be held in the Institutions physically.
  8. Make sure that the video is turned on for all students when the class goes on.

The things a student must ensure before joining the Institute of Hybrid Education Model

  1. Make sure that you will get a good internet package either from your smart phone or from your computer throughout the entire academic year.
  2. Make sure that you have enough data in your internet package before joining the class.
  3. Make sure that you have a separate room for attending the classes. If you don’t have the separate room, you must attend the classes in your institutions.
  4. Do not schedule any travel during the class hours except in the case of emergency.
  5. You must visit your institutions whenever you get the calls from your teachers. You must attend all the practical classes.
  6. Never turn off the video. Always interact with your class-teacher.

Classification of Hybrid Education Model

We may classify the Hybrid Education Model in the following ways:

50-50 H.E. Model

50% of students will attend the class virtually whereas the rest 50% will attend the class physically. The first half will be for theoretical classes and the second half will be for practical classes. The students, who will attend the class virtually, will complete the assignment in the second half from their home. The next day, they will attend the classes in the institution physically and also attend the practical classes in the second half.

75-25 H.E Model

There will be 4 days of class in a week physically. Each day, 25% of students will attend the class physically. The rest 75% of students will attend the class virtually.

Zigzag H.E Model

Students will be divided into two groups-A and B. Students of Group-A will attend the class physically in the first half and at the same time, group B will attend the class virtually. Group-B will attend the class physically in the second half and at the same time, group-A will attend the class virtually.

Flexible H.E Model

Let the students choose in which mode they will join the classes. During the admission, let them fill-up the form regarding this. Then, you can count the number of students who are going to attend the classes physically. Accordingly, you can make the groups. Depending on the number of groups, you allot the classes to be done physically.

Conclusion

On the next day, the same thing will be repeated. The quality of education will increase if Hybrid Education Model is accepted. When quality increases, the responsibility to increases. There must be a class for physical education even for higher classes. In this class, freehand exercises and eye exercises should be performed by the students and teachers as well. Before adopting the Hybrid Education Model, Institutions should ensure that they will take care of health by executing exercises, meditation, etc. Health should be given the topmost priority. Remembering this and following some guidelines, any institution can adopt the Hybrid Education Model. It will surely enhance the knowledge of the students.

Tiulip

I love to educate myself. When I educate the little ones, I can educate myself in a better way. So I choose to educate all students with the help of advanced technology and that is by opening a site. Though by profession I am working in an MNC as a Mechanical Engineer, I love to educate from the beginning to build a career as a student.

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