Hybrid Learning Guide for Faculty

Start with continuous improvement, not perfection.

Hybrid courses evolve over time -- do your best with current resources and refine as you go.

As you build out your hybrid course, keep these in mind:

1. Focus on Instruction: Choose delivery methods and strategies that actively engage students with content and peers, encouraging collaboration and multiple perspectives.
2. Use Announcements Strategically: Post consistent updates to connect topics, clarify common misunderstandings, and guide students toward helpful resources. Repeat key points in class for reinforcement.
3. Apply Universal Design: Caption videos, add image descriptions, clarify common misunderstandings, and ensure classroom spaces and field trip locations are barrier-free and inclusive. 
4. Support Time Management: Provide tools like checklists, calendars, and backup plans for fieldwork to help students stay organized and independent.
5. Maintain Instructor Presence: Offer regular interaction (conferences, tutoring, or extra-help sessions) to keep students engaged and supported.
6. Clarify Communication Methods: Set expectations for response times, office hours, and Q&A options for asynchronous days.
7. Provide Regular Feedback: Explain how and when feedback will be shared so students can improve their work in real time.
8. Align Assessments with Outcomes: Design assessments that match your learning outcomes and share clear instructions and practice questions.
9. Keep Technology Simple: Use tools intentionally and ensure they are accessible and easy for students to learn and use.
10. Gather Course Feedback: Collect student feedback (e.g., surveys or reflections) and use it to refine your course.

Learn more about effective practices in blended and hybrid courses handout from University of Guelph | Office of Learning and Teaching:

Designing Ways to Encourage Student Engagement in Hybrid Courses Image Text

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