Hybrid education is primarily a study model that is taught virtually, but without giving up face-to-face classes. However, it goes far beyond that, as there are several factors involved in this innovative modality, such as its benefits, advantages, how it is taught, its relationship with the future and innovation, and much more. In this article, we explain everything you need to know about hybrid education.
This teaching method is a combination of the best of online training with the most valuable aspects of face-to-face training. Although this topic has been a trend due to the Pandemic, gaining more relevance, the reality is that hybrid education was not born out of confinement it has been positioning itself for several years as the most appropriate format to educate in the digital age that we have been living in for a decade.
The advantages of online classes are many, such as flexibility, work-life balance, saving time and money, greater autonomy, direct access to prestigious teachers, etc. However, face-to-face training also has many strengths, such as the closeness to teachers, the environment that facilitates learning, and the social relationships that arise in the classroom. So, if we combine the best of both, the result will be promising!
Did you know that this model has been implemented in Europe for several years? In that continent, they call it blended learning and it is very similar to what we have seen in recent months in schools and universities in Mexico, which have moved traditional teaching to a virtual and hybrid environment, due to the situation.
Hybrid education involves a specific design of the itinerary that takes advantage of the advantages of both aspects: online and in-person.
What are the hybrid education models?
Hybrid education has many models around the world. It is not just about combining virtual and in-person classes, but as we mentioned at the beginning of this article, there are details that make the difference and go beyond that, generating different models that adapt to different educational needs.
- Station rotation: This consists of dividing the students into small groups, which rotate through different stations with different tasks, but with the same objective. This is a model designed for the first educational stages (Preschool and Primary).
- Laboratory rotation: Similar to the previous one, except that one of the stations is a technology classroom or laboratory.
- Individual rotation: Rotation is not done in a group, but individually, according to what the teacher or an algorithm indicates. The particularity of this hybrid education model is that it is not necessary to work at all stations.
- Flipped Classroom: In this model, the content is first reviewed virtually and then the students attend the in-person class. The advantage of this is that the teacher can focus the session on resolving doubts, raising questions, or delving into more complex topics.
- Flex: This is the model that gives the student the most autonomy since it is he who decides how much time he dedicates to each activity. This type of education is based on online training. Without schedules, at the pace set by the student and based on what he needs.
- Enriched virtual model: The latest model of hybrid education consists of completing the majority of training online and attending several face-to-face sessions with teachers.
These are some of the formats of education for hybrid classrooms. It is easy to list the advantages of this type of teaching, such as personalized, flexible training and cost savings, but there are also challenges.
For hybrid classroom education to work, it is necessary to reduce the digital divide among students, not only in access to tools but also in digital skills.
Teaching staff must also have the appropriate training to provide online training. This means, for example, understanding the digital ecosystem, mastering the most common agile methodologies, knowing specific software, and speaking the language of the Internet.
Why is hybrid education the future of education in Mexico and the world?
In the current context, hybrid education means continuing the online work that millions of teachers and students around the world have been doing, as a result of school closures, but without giving up the advantages of going to class and providing the best possible teaching.
The result is a much more personalized and flexible education than the traditional system, which implies more motivated students and, therefore, better academic results.
Would you like to learn more about the hybrid model that Don Bosco will begin to implement in its educational program? Below we share a webinar where our teachers explain it to you more clearly: