Despite Faculty Skepticism: Lessons from a Graduate-Level Seminar in a Hybrid Course Environment

Despite the fact that online education continues to grow, the vast majority of faculty remain skeptical that online courses can yield the same student learning outcomes as traditional face-to-face courses. In an effort to determine if online graduate courses can be effective, in this study we explor...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:College teaching 2014-07, Vol.62 (3), p.100-106
Main Authors: Palmer, Megan M., Shaker, Genevieve, Hoffmann-Longtin, Krista
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Achievement
adult learning
Blended Learning
Blogs
Case Studies
College Faculty
College students
Community Colleges
Comparative Analysis
Creativity
Curricula
Distance Education
Educational Environment
Educational Technology
Electronic Learning
graduate seminars
Graduate Study
Higher education
hybrid courses
instructional technology
Learning environment
Learning outcomes
Mixed Methods Research
Online Courses
online education
Online instruction
Outcomes of Education
Pedagogy
Seminars
Student Attitudes
Teacher Attitudes
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Summary:Despite the fact that online education continues to grow, the vast majority of faculty remain skeptical that online courses can yield the same student learning outcomes as traditional face-to-face courses. In an effort to determine if online graduate courses can be effective, in this study we explore the extent to which qualities commonly found in graduate-level seminars can be replicated in hybrid graduate-level courses. A course for students in a higher education graduate program titled "The American Community College" serves as the study case. The course was developed as a hybrid with synchronous, asynchronous, and in-person elements intended to foster highly interactive exchanges of information, deep analysis of subject matter, and advanced means of communicating one's ideas; all elements of a successful graduate-level course. Web technologies including wikis, blogs, and podcasting provided creative and varied pedagogical tools, which could be fully realized only when students were immersed in the online learning environment. Data collected from students across two semesters and assessment of learning outcomes indicate the value and success of the approach and several advantages to in-person courses, generating a set of implications.
ISSN:8756-7555
1930-8299
DOI:10.1080/87567555.2014.912608