The “Choice Model” Addresses Student Expectations for More Hybrid and Online Learning Options Post-Pandemic

Student experiences during the pandemic have likely reset their expectations for how teaching should be delivered. Colleges and universities plan to fully open campuses and resume classroom instruction this fall, but many students have said they want more choices for how classes are presented and delivered. This includes more online and hybrid learning options. A novel approach to hybrid teaching and learning described in a recent Echo360 webinar may give students the kind of flexibility they are looking for.

Dr. John Drea, a professor of business at Illinois College described how he piloted a form of hybrid instruction called “The Choice Model.” In his Harvard Business Publishing article, he shared the reasons why he developed and implemented the model, how his students reacted, and how he plans to integrate it into his course design in the future.

More Choices, Greater Student Empowerment, Better Results

The Choice Model lets students select how they will attend classes on any given day. Each day, students can choose to attend class in person or online. Instruction is delivered in person, or online via synchronous Zoom sessions combined with Echo360 video and student engagement tools.

Dr. Drea says that giving his students a choice in how they receive their education empowers them by giving them greater autonomy, more control over their environment, and increases the chances for their success.

“If students were allowed to make choices in their education relative to the pandemic, perhaps their anxiety would decline, and their performance would increase,” he says.

After implementing the Choice Model for two semesters, it quickly became the course delivery method of choice with Dr. Drea’s students. He presented findings on student satisfaction and the impact the Choice Model had on student performance to webinar attendees. Highlights include:

  • Student performance increased by seven points. Students using the Choice Model during the fall of 2020 performed better on the comprehensive final exam than students who attended in-person in 2019. Students credited the use of the check-in questions using Echo360 during each class session as being helpful for keeping them engaged with the material.
  • Attendance increased from 85 percent in the fall of 2019 to 93 percent in the fall of 2020. The Choice Model reduced barriers to attendance and provided more ways in which they could attend class. For example, even when students were quarantined, they still had the chance to attend classes remotely, online.
  • Students preferred the Choice Model over other forms of course delivery. 30 out of 44 students ranked the Choice Model as their preferred course delivery model among other alternatives such as fully in-person, fully on Zoom, and a 50/50 hybrid approach.

Learn More: View the Webinar Archive

This article provides just a glimpse of Dr. Drea’s webinar presentation. Whether you serve in campus leadership, are a faculty member, work as an academic technologist, or as a learning experience designer, this webinar will allow you to learn more about the Choice Model and why it is a viable approach to hybrid teaching and learning well beyond the pandemic.

We invite you to learn more by viewing the webinar recording, Beyond COVID – Providing Student Choice in Course Delivery with Hybrid Teaching.

From campus video management, lecture capture, online and hybrid learning, and more, contact us to discover how Echo360 can help transform the teaching and learning experience at your institution.

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