Combining Traditional and Online Learning

04/29/2008

Combining Traditional and Online Learning

Looking forward to things is half the pleasure of them.
L.M. Montgomery

Brian McFarlin at University of Houston ran an experiment in which half the students in a large undergraduate kinesiology course were taught only by the traditional in-class lecture format and the other half were taught in a hybrid format that combined lectures and online learning. At the completion of the courses, the students in the hybrid format had grades that were 10% higher than those in the traditional format. Writing about this experiment in Advances in Physiology Education McFarlin concluded, "Hybrid courses allow students additional exposure to course content that is not possible in a traditional classroom environment. This exposure may lead to an improvement in academic performance."

What are Your Views on Online Learning?

We are collecting both instructor and student reactions to online learning for an article in Exchange magazine, as well as for a presentation at NAEYC's Professional Development Institute. We invite you to share your views on online learning in a brief Exchange survey. If we use your views, we will give you direct credit as the source.

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