Practical learning in hybrid environments: Can remote learning be active, authentic, and real?

• Published in: Distance education 2023-04, Vol.44 (2), p.362-379
• Main Authors: Forbes, Dianne, Gedera, Dilani, Brown, Cheryl, Hartnett, Maggie, Datt, Ashwini
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Active Learning; Authentic Learning; Blended Learning; Computer Simulation; COVID-19; Distance Education; Distance learning; Educational Benefits; Electronic Learning; Foreign Countries; hybrid learning; Medical Education; Online instruction; Pandemics; practical learning; Science Education; Teacher Education; Technology Uses in Education; University students; Video Technology
• ISSN: 0158-7919; 1475-0198
• DOI: 10.1080/01587919.2023.2198487

Online strategies designed to enable practical learning were in use prior to the pandemic. Nevertheless, in response to the rapid shift to online delivery during lockdowns, face-to-face practical learning was often postponed and replaced with traditional transmissive and theory-focused modes. This paper reports undergraduate and postgraduate university students' online learning experiences in New Zealand, where some practical learning approaches were evident particularly in the fields of teacher education, health or medicine, and sciences. Using multiple methods, data stemmed from a national survey followed by individual interviews and focus groups. Findings affirm that practical learning is possible in hybrid contexts, and is no less real than learning on campus. In-home or community-based activities, virtual simulations, online practice, and video-based learning all offer engaging opportunities for practical learning.