Research Supports Hybrid Classes
The University of Houston Department of Health and Human Performance recently released a report that supported the effectiveness of blended learning. Hybrid classes which combine instructional technology and in-class lectures were found to result in greater student involvement and academic performance than traditional classes.
This report supports my own feelings on e-learning – that to be most effective there needs to be a mixture of electronic content and interaction with other students and the presenter/facilitator.
The report also offers support for the proposal I am developing for additional online courses in my workplace – there will be an online theory component followed by a face to face session that involves practice and reinforcement of the knowledge/skills acquired and an assessment to ensure that the learning outcomes and required level of competence have been achieved. The topics I am exploring for this approach include water, soil and pesticide sampling. Participants will all be environmental scientists who are developing specialised skills in these areas for environmental protection purposes.
