The Age of Hybrid Learning

By Daisy Davis

STATESBORO- Technology has continuously advanced to enhance the classroom experience of students and, with the additional effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic, hybrid and online classes are on the rise at many university campuses, including Georgia Southern University.

Georgia Southern Communication Arts Professor Lisa Muller, Ph.D., said she was working with components of online school before the COVID-19 pandemic affected the education of university students.

“I have been teaching for 20 years,” Muller said, “I would say I probably started teaching online and hybrid as soon as it was available at Georgia Southern.”

The online platform Georgia View was used to provide supplementary material to students before Folio was available for Georgia Southern to use in 2014, she added.

Hybrid classes allow students to take classes partially online and in person. Muller says many students prefer this to the fully online courses available through the university.

“I know the students like the hybrid better than the completely online,” said Muller. “You would think they would enjoy online better because they don’t have to show up but online brings a whole different level of discipline.”

Hybrid classes provide students with a sense of accountability and meeting face-to-face at least once a week allows for better engagement, and often improved grades, in the course, she said.

According to a 2023 Statista survey, 50 percent of students in the United States who had the choice of taking a hybrid course were satisfied with the course while 37 percent of college students who did not make the choice to take the course were dissatisfied.

Online and hybrid classes have become commonplace at Georgia Southern. For some busy students, these classes seem to ease the stress of schoolwork. PR major and PRSSA President Nina Petiot says she finds hybrid courses helpful for several reasons.

“I enjoy the fact that I can have a workday when I need it,” said Petiot. “Sometimes I get so wrapped up in my extracurricular activities that it’s hard to set aside time for my actual schoolwork.”

Hybrid classes tend to provide students with in-person class time and workdays that do not involve classroom meetings. 

“A lot of us were still in high school when COVID hit,” said Petiot. “We had to get used to an online learning style which some kids loved, and others hated. Having the in-between of hybrid is nice, because it caters to student learning styles on both sides of this.”

Hybrid classes have become popular with college students due to their structured flexibility, something not offered by entirely in-person or online courses. 

The only downside to hybrid classes, for her, is being unable to get in touch with some professors when she needs help outside the classroom, she said. 

“I prefer in-person classes but I’m a sucker for a hybrid,” said Petiot. “Because I get that in-person time that I need, and I also have that freedom to do what I want or need to throughout the week.”

Georgia Southern has not only extended the ability to learn online to on-campus students, but also to students studying on Fort Stewart military base. 

Dale Drummond, a Georgia Southern student and Chinook mechanic at Fort Stewart, has taken hybrid courses to better fit his schedule as a member of the Army National Guard. 

“Between school and the military, I have to make compromises,” said Drummond. “That’s when I most appreciate online courses because there are overlaps between my class and National Guard schedule.”

Georgia Southern also offers fully online classes for those working at Fort Stewart and pursuing a master’s degree in the fields of business, health administration, science technology, cybercrime, or communication leadership arts.

 These fully online classes provide a flexible learning environment for students who may be unable to attend in-person classes due to work or other commitments.

Multimedia Film and Production Lecturer Tyson Davis said he enjoys hybrid classes much more than those offered fully online.

“Hybrid is different,” Davis said, “It’s a whole different beast with hybrid and it can work. The problem with fully online is we’re talking about application-based classes with hands-on instruction. How much hands-on instruction can you do online? You can’t do any.”

Davis says that he is doubtful any film classes would ever be completely online, but that hybrid classes have perks for students. 

“Students are going to have to do these outside assignments without the professor being there anyways,” Davis said, “Hybrid gives instructors the opportunity to give the students some freedom and still have them right there in front of them as well.”