Hybrid Classrooms — The Crescent

Reported by Molly Giesbrecht

Photographed by Danny Walker

NEWBERG, Ore. - Students and professors have mixed feelings concerning the hybrid class model, which became a necessity for many classes this semester due to the COVID-19-related restrictions placed on the traditional classroom structure.

Returning to George Fox University (GFU) this fall semester in the midst of COVID-19 presented numerous challenges for students and staff alike. One of those challenges was how to administer classes in a safe manner, following both university and state guidelines, but still keeping students involved and engaged in the course material. While some classes were able to move fully online, many other classes, which could not stay fully in-person, opted for a happy medium in the form of hybrid classes, which combines elements of both in-person and remote learning.

While each class varies based upon the class, professor, and students, a typical hybrid class will have one or two days of in-person class, and one day of work outside of class each week. That outside-of-class day could consist of small (and socially distanced, of course) group work time, watching a lecture online, attending class over Zoom, or completing various other assignments.

Professors have expressed frustration at not being able to see their students face-to-face for every class. It can be difficult speaking to a screen for an hour-long lecture with little to no interaction, and it is likewise more difficult for students to remain engaged that way. Assistant professor of English Jessica Hughes is one such professor who greatly prefers in-person teaching and learning.

“I much prefer getting together with students on a regular basis and talking about books and figuring it out together. That’s pedagogically what I think is better, but also, it’s just more fun,” Hughes said.

It is much harder to have engaging discussion and conversation over a computer screen. For this reason, a number of professors teaching in a hybrid structure have given their students the chance to meet in small groups to work on classwork together on the day or days when they aren’t meeting in person.

Junior Kalina Bueler, who is taking multiple hybrid classes this semester, gave insight on this topic. “I really enjoy courses that utilize small groups for outside of class discussions, and I think this would be a valuable technique for other classes,” Bueler said.

Most students and professors are not entirely opposed to a hybrid class structure. However, if this is a structure that GFU is planning to keep around in the future, there are some changes that could be made in order to make the experience better.

“I think the biggest problem this semester is scheduling. We’ve taken a traditional schedule and we’ve tried to hybridize it and that kind of makes no sense. It would be way better if we were able to have a schedule that was specifically set up for a hybrid approach.

If they continue to use a typical Monday/Wednesday/Friday, Tuesday/Thursday sort of class pattern, I will be less inclined to stay doing hybrid-type stuff, because I find that the entire class structure of how we imagine class meetings had been set up for in-person classes, so if we’re not gonna rethink that most basic structure of how our time is organized, it's really hard to redo content around that,” Hughes said.

Bueler also acknowledged that hybrid learning could hold potential for classes in the future. “While I prefer in person classes, I do think that the structure of hybrid courses makes them a valuable asset for liberal arts colleges. Many lower-division and gen-ed classes could continue to be provided in a hybrid format in order to clear schedules for major specific classes,” she said. But once again, that would require the traditional schedule to be adjusted for hybrid style learning.

Everyone who comes to GFU is met with a “Be Known” promise, but unfortunately, such a promise is difficult to foster and maintain when students are required to attend classes with unfamiliar structures, which lack in-person interaction, in a schedule that is not conducive to that type of learning. No one knew exactly what to expect when COVID-19 forced major changes upon our university, and there was little time to prepare for the necessary changes in the classrooms in order to make in-person learning possible. This is the first time that a hybrid structure has been a necessity, and it is understandable that there are still a few kinks that have yet to be worked out. Looking ahead to the future, it is entirely possible to make the hybrid classroom structure a valuable and positive experience for both professors and students.