Does anyone else look for hybrid classes to take when making their schedules? I know that I do! But are these half in-class/half-online classes meant for everyone?
First, hybrids are great for your schedule. You only meet once a week for an hour and twenty minutes here at Monmouth so this makes them more convenient than a three-hour class, which also meet once a week. This gives you more time during the week to have to yourself to do homework, study, or dedicate to working or your social life.
Also, with hybrid classes you have a lot of freedom to complete work on your own. If you are typically someone who would rather just work by yourself and do homework in your free time than constantly be in class and participate or be involved in group work, hybrids are probably best for you. Personally, I am very independent when it comes to completing my work so this aspect of hybrids is beneficial for me.
Lastly, in a lot of hybrid classes that I have taken in the past, professors assign documentaries or movies to watch and respond to on eCampus on days that we do not meet in class. This allowed me to delve deeper into the topic of what we were learning and help me understand it better through visual examples.
Usually in classes that meet twice a week, there is no time to watch documentaries or movies because they are too long and take away from class time. Hybrids give the class opportunities to go further into subjects through assigning these films on the days they do not meet in person.
On the other hand, hybrids are not for some people. Since the class only meets once a week, there is more out-of-class work assigned. This results in a heavier than usual amount of homework to complete. Those who would prefer to meet in class the extra day and have a lighter load of homework, generally would probably not like a hybrid class in their schedule.
Heather Halczli, a senior communication student, stated, “I enjoy most hybrid classes because they free up your schedule and give you more free time. I prefer them but also understand how some people may struggle to keep track of their work on eCampus, since there is less structure compared to a class that meets twice a week.”
Another drawback of hybrids is that they can make it more difficult for some to learn the material. Some prefer to be taught in-class and learn from a professor lecturing to them. With a hybrid, you get some lecturing but a lot of the material is up to you to learn on your own time. This is not for everyone.
Overall, it depends on how you like to work when it comes to whether or not you would enjoy a hybrid class. Like I said, I prefer to have limited class time and then have more homework and the ability to gain knowledge on the topic on my own, during my own time. Others who would want less homework and more in-class learning would probably not like hybrid classes.