What to Teach In-Person in a Hybrid Model Part 2: How to Structure Your Weekly Learning Experiences

This is Part 2 in a three-part series of blog posts on making decisions about what to teach live and in-person while working within a hybrid classroom. Visit the Part 1 post to read about integrating the in-person and online modalities.

Models of Blended Learning Suited for a Hybrid Environment

There are several models of blended learning, but Thomas Arnett of the Clayton Christensen Institute confirms that there are two that stand out above the rest as ideal for a hybrid learning environment. The flipped model and the enriched virtual model are both well-suited for implementation in a hybrid structure.

Excerpt from The Perfect Blend:

Flipped Classroom: The basic premise of flipped learning is that online learning is used as a homework tool, freeing up the teacher during class time to help with student application. The online learning portion of the instruction could be as simple as a video lecture that students watch at home. Students could work through more sophisticated online lessons at home, as well. 

Under the Flipped Classroom Model, instead of spending class time providing basic instruction, teachers are able to essentially replicate themselves. The teachers move the basic instruction online in a carefully crafted assignment and is "present" when the student is learning at home. The teacher then dedicates subsequent in-class time to helping students apply that learning.

Enriched Virtual: The Enriched Virtual Model uses online learning as the primary vehicle for instructional delivery. This method of instruction allows the students to complete the majority of their work outside of a traditional brick-and-mortar setting. Because it is still a blended learning model and not fully online, students are asked to come for face-to-face learning sessions at specific times. Online learning is the primary mode of learning, and the face-to-face opportunities in a brick-and-mortar setting supplement the learning. 

Your Interaction with Students in Each Model

Adapted from a chart originally made by McKinsey & Company, I recreated this visual for a recent presentation to hybrid teachers in my district. This chart showcases where interaction with students happens in each of the models, with in-person and remote there for comparison. 

The slides template I used for the presentation was created by Slidesgo, including images from Freepik.

As you can see in the chart, the flipped model essentially flips the homework model on its head, allowing for initial instruction to happen online while students are home. The enriched virtual model gives a bit more flexibility over what happens at home, since the foundation of the learning is in an online environment. 

The model you choose will be based heavily on your teaching style and your course curriculum. What works for one teacher may not work well for another. As you read in Part 1, the first step is to really reflect on your role in the classroom and what is best-served as live instruction for your particular context.

Suggested Ways to Structure Your Hybrid Classroom within These Two Models

Here are just some of the ways you might structure your course throughout the week to effectively blend instruction while students are physically in the classroom only a few days a week. 

• Flipped: Design all new instruction through online lessons. When students are in-person, use that time for active practice. 
• Different Content: Prioritize some content for in person and other content to be learned online. This model works if you have some flexibility over when each of the learning objectives could be taught throughout the week (if it's okay that some students would learn certain content at the beginning of the week while the other half of the class learns it at the end of the week). 
• Same Content: If online learning is the foundation for instruction delivery, students at home could be learning the same content as the students who are physically in class. Everyone is moving through the same online material at the same time, regardless of environment. The teacher would use the in-person time to meet in small groups for more focused instruction. Work that was not completed in class would turn into homework. 
• Weekly Flexibility: Instead of daily online lessons when students are home, all students could be given more flexibility to complete a week's worth of online learning at their own pace throughout the week. The teacher would supplement that instruction when the students were face-to-face, either providing whole group instruction or allowing the students to work online while she pulls small groups or conferences with students. 
• Reteaching: This structure would put the bulk of new instruction, guided practice, and assessment online, similar to the "same content" structure above. The teacher would use data from that online instruction to identify gaps in understanding and to focus on either whole group and/or small group reteaching of material in class. 

What structure makes the most sense for your classroom? Are there additional ways to organize your weekly instruction not listed here that you could share? Use the comments feature below to share your ideas or share on Twitter using the hashtag #PerfectBlendBook. 

Stay tuned for Part 3 where will take a look at instructional activities well-suited for in-person instruction within a hybrid model.