Hybrid Teaching

In-person instruction coupled with online learning is often referred to as hybrid teaching and can be integrated into your course in many ways.

If you would like to discuss your particular course, reach out to us at cornellcti@cornell.edu or join one of our online drop-in sessions.

In this resource, we’ll focus on courses primarily taking three forms:

Courses with simultaneous (synchronous) sessions, which include some students meeting in person with the instructor, and remote students joining by Zoom.
Courses offering in-person sessions, in which remote students access course materials, participate, and complete coursework outside of class on their own time (asynchronously).
Courses with a combination of the above. These types of courses are the most challenging to manage, as they require both in-person and remote students to attend class at set times (synchronously), while also providing remote students with flexible, asynchronous options to participate (depending on a variety of factors that may limit their ability to participate during the synchronous class session).

Providing students with flexibility, noted in the second and third models, may be the best option in some circumstances. For example, this need for flexibility was seen during the COVID pandemic, as Cornell faculty shifted to an emergency version of hybrid teaching.

We learned some important lessons about hybrid teaching from that time, namely that it has the potential to connect students in disparate locations and provide connections that may not be possible in a solely in-person setting.

Examples of this use of hybrid teaching include:

For degree programs intended for full-time professionals.
For courses enrolling students from both Cornell's Ithaca and New York City campuses.
For those students unable to join the class in person, including for visa or other travel-related challenges.
For those needing accommodations for health conditions.
For innovative teaching projects involving students at other campuses or with community partners worldwide.

Under such circumstances, hybrid teaching strategies may constitute an important part of Cornell’s commitment to ‘any person, any study.’

Hybrid teaching can also pose particular challenges, including:

Technology limitations in some classrooms.
The need to keep students connected, both logistically and to create a sense of community in a hybrid environment.
Equity in engagement and learning for both sets of students.
Management of your own cognitive load in interacting with both in-person and remote students.

It’s important to recognize that, if you engage with in-person and remote students simultaneously, the needs of these audiences will vary, and your needs as an instructor will, too. Because of this, hybrid courses benefit from more advanced planning and more support through technology and communication.

Jump to:

Planning a Hybrid Learning Experience
Online Teaching Tools and Approaches
Strategies for Supporting Your Hybrid Class
Structuring a Hybrid Class Session: Considerations and Sample Outline
Student & Faculty Needs in a Hybrid Class
Shifting to Hybrid Teaching Unexpectedly

Planning a Hybrid Learning Experience

Shifting from a solely in-person teaching approach to a hybrid approach typically requires more planning, recognition of varied learning environments and needs, and mindful use of technology (Linder, 2017). Think about who your students are and what outcomes they should have as a result of the experience you facilitate. Then, outline how you can help them reach the learning outcomes in both in-person and remote environments.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

Is it important for your in-person and online students to communicate or collaborate with each other? If so, how will you structure opportunities for communication (e.g., through online discussions or working in collaborative documents)?
What are the expectations for participation from in-person and remote students (e.g., methods, grading, accountability)?
In what cases will it be acceptable for students to switch modalities? For example, can students who usually attend in-person switch to joining remote sessions or watch class videos online if they are ill or traveling? Do they need to inform you first? Note that flexibility in how to participate in class or access class materials can be very beneficial for some students with neurodiversity or those managing health conditions.
Are there limitations to the technologies? For example, will all students easily be able to see the slides or what you are writing on the board? Will students online be able to hear comments or questions from students in the room? Is a polling question set up specifically for students in class only, or can students attending remotely also participate in the poll?
How might in-person learning activities be adjusted to work for remote students? This list of ideas for active learning in online classes is a good starting point.
Will the instructions or assessments for your learning experience be different for in-person versus remote students?
How might students viewing a recorded (asynchronous) session participate in your learning activities? For example, will they take an online quiz, submit a set of questions, or take a photo of their work and upload it to Canvas? This list has other online assessment and assignment strategies.
What additional help or technology might you need for the course?

Online Teaching Tools and Approaches

To teach in a hybrid setting, it can be helpful to familiarize yourself with options for online teaching tools, active learning approaches, and communication methods. These online methods work well to support remote students, while also being useful for your in-person students.

The following resources can help you get started:

Strategies for Supporting Your Hybrid Class

Before the semester begins:
- Check on your classroom technology in advance. Some classrooms are equipped with technology (cameras, microphones) that make it easier for remote students to join by Zoom, or for you to record your class. Other classrooms are not well-equipped for this, but perhaps adjustments can be made. Contact the AV personnel for your building or college for support in optimizing everyone’s experience with classroom audio-visual technology.
- Ensure your course structure is organized and purposeful, aligning all goals and outcomes with the proper assessments and learning activities available to all students. A complex hybrid course may need additional structures, such as checklists or timelines, as well as frequent reminders or check-ins to make sure everyone is clear and on track.
- Plan how you will communicate with all of your students, including those who join you online or may be viewing a recorded session. It is easy to focus on your in-person class and lose track of checking in with students online. Planning your engagement with online students in advance can help prevent you from becoming overwhelmed with balancing the two groups of students during the class. Also, be sure to advise your online students about how to best communicate with you during and outside of class. Build in structures or time to check in with students online. This resource on online communication is a good place to start.
During the semester:
- Solicit in-person student volunteers on a rotational basis to help remote students feel more connected to the classroom community. For example, student volunteers could moderate chat and reiterate activity instructions or open breakout rooms. Teaching assistants could also help with these roles.
- Check in with your students throughout each class. This can be helpful to ensure the clarity of instructions and any shared audio and visuals. This can be particularly helpful if different instructions exist for in-person vs. remote students, given the different ways they are experiencing the class.
- Make adjustments based on student feedback. For example, if remote students can’t hear questions asked by in-class students, make it a practice to repeat the question before answering.

Structuring a Hybrid Class Session: Considerations and Sample Outline

When planning a hybrid class session, it can be helpful to plan how in-person and remote students will be engaging with the material and participating in activities and discussions.

For example, if you plan for small group discussions with your in-person students, Zoom breakout rooms can be a great option to engage your remote students, but can create facilitation challenges. If taking this option, consider whether you’ll need to ask a student or teaching assistant for help in opening up breakout rooms in Zoom for the remote students.

Here, we provide a possible hybrid class outline to help you consider what might be possible for your class.

Note: Sometimes, facilitating Zoom breakout rooms for discussion or using active learning strategies is not possible, due to the size of the class or a need for additional support. In some situations, you may find it’s just not possible to facilitate both remote and in-person students at the same time.

In these circumstances, here are some options for alternative activities and assignments:

Hold online sessions separately from your in-person sessions.
Provide alternate assignments. For example, in-person students might participate in a discussion session during class, and those not in class submit a reflection paper about the same topic.
Have remote students join your class only for designated portions of your session and then work offline on other assigned tasks, such as alternate assignments, which they can show when checking back in. For example, a remote student might join at the start of class for a Q&A session on homework, but then work by themselves on a problem set while the in-person students work in groups on the same problems. Then, at the end of class, they might rejoin for a debrief about the problem set or pose questions about upcoming projects and assessments.

Student & Faculty Needs in a Hybrid Class

When considering how to design hybrid learning experiences, it is good to keep the following factors in mind:

Remote students

Work in different learning environments where conditions that can impact internet connectivity and the ability to participate easily may be unknown.
Will typically depend on technology to connect with you and other students, while only seeing and hearing what is shared digitally.
Provide limited visual cues to you, such as facial expressions, if they share video of themselves. Some students may prefer to leave their video cameras off, and you may want to give clear explanations or expectations for camera usage.
Have different (sometimes fewer) interactions related to the course, instructor, and peers
May have differences impacting their learning experience that are unseen.

In-person students

Share the same learning environment and can observe you, their peers, and the conditions of the physical space you are all in together.
May or may not use technology in your classroom.
Provide you with visual cues and feedback through their responses, body language, and facial expressions.
Have the opportunity to develop social skills and deeper connections through the face-to-face interactions you facilitate, as well as impromptu interactions that come from sharing the same physical space.
May have differences impacting their learning experience that are unseen.

Instructors and teaching assistants

Have more to manage when teaching or supporting both in-person and remote students.
Will need to consider how both groups of students interact with each other, with course content, and with the instructor or teaching team.
May require multiple methods of observing students to check on progress and understanding during synchronous sessions (if remote and in-person students meet simultaneously).
Could benefit from some form of assistance in managing hybrid class sessions (e.g., a student or teaching assistant moderating a Zoom chat and sharing input and questions).
May have differences impacting their teaching and classroom management that are unseen.

Shifting to Hybrid Teaching Unexpectedly

Ideally, effective hybrid instruction stems from a well-thought-out classroom plan and mindful course design, both aimed at providing the best format for students to achieve desired learning outcomes. In reality, hybrid instruction also occurs due to the need to shift course plans in response to unanticipated circumstances, when students cannot attend the in-person sessions. As we experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic, we can shift quickly to online teaching options when necessary, and have learned how to create effective learning experiences for remote students.

Here are some recommendations and considerations should this need arise:

Time Zones: Start by learning what time zones remote students are in and other factors that may impact their class attendance and participation. Will they be able to join synchronously by Zoom, or will they need asynchronous options, such as class recordings, slide files, or other resources?
Technology: Check on the available technology in your classroom, such as microphones, cameras, for either having students join by Zoom and/or for recording your class. Check with AV personnel for your building or college for support with classroom audio-visual technology.
Support: Review our resources on teaching with Zoom and other online teaching tools.
In-Class Activities: For in-class activities, problem-solving, or discussions in class, find ways that remote students can also participate. This resource on active learning online has options. For example, for discussions, they could pose questions or comments in Zoom chat, or they could work individually on problems or in breakout rooms with other remote students.
Group Work: What impact will this shift have on any group work in progress? Can existing teams suffice? Would it make more sense to have remote students work with each other?
Assessments: Will your assessments need to change for remote students? For example, an in-class written exam may need to shift to an online written or oral exam. See options for online assessment strategies.
Office Hours: Arrange to offer online office hours for remote students.
Communication: Clear and frequent communication with all students in the class about changes will be especially important in these cases.

Be transparent in acknowledging the impact of a shift in teaching after a course has already begun. Encourage your students to work with you so you can all adapt to the change together and seek help if needed. Consider different strategies for supporting your hybrid class.

Summary

We realize there are many ways a hybrid approach can be applied. Please consider this resource a starting point to spark your thinking about the possibility of teaching a hybrid class.

How might this approach provide benefits to your students through greater flexibility?
Can the learning outcomes for your class be achieved in this format?
What might you change in terms of your learning activities?
What obstacles exist, and how might you overcome or manage them? How might your students take an active part in managing their role and interactions with their peers?
How might students in your discipline work in a hybrid fashion in their future careers? Can you model this?

If you would like to discuss your particular course, reach out to us at cornellcti@cornell.edu or join one of our online drop-in sessions.

References

Hall, S., & Villareal, D. (2015). The Hybrid Advantage: Graduate Student Perspectives of Hybrid Education Courses. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 27(1), 69-80.

Linder, K. E. (2017). Fundamentals of hybrid teaching and learning. New directions for teaching and learning, 2017(149), 11-18.

Center for Teaching Innovation