Making Hybrids Work provides a resource for institutions of higher
education to grow and sustain quality hybrid curricula, outlining an
institutional framework by focusing on defining and advertising hybrids;
developing, supporting, and assessing hybrid programs; and training
faculty.
The hybrid instructional mode, which combines online and face-to-face
learning in a single course, has, according to the National Education
Association, the potential to maximize student learning in the
twenty-first century. And interest in hybrids is growing--by
administrators, by faculty, and by students. But a truly effective
hybrid curriculum works only when colleges and universities invest in
broad, institutional planning and decision making, as well as strong
professional development opportunities for faculty.
To examine the reality rather than the hype of a hybrid curriculum,
authors Joanna N. Paull and Jason Allen Snart look at several existing
hybrid courses in a variety of disciplines, as well as explore the
possibilities and limitations of teaching with technology. Although
there is no one easy path to instituting a hybrid curriculum, the
authors argue that the hybrid model might well offer a potential "best
of both worlds" in its blending of online and face-to-face instruction,
but only with a strong foundation of institutional planning and
professional support in place.