Designing Classroom and Online Activities

One way to optimize classroom time in Hybrid classes is to design active learning experiences such as practical application, problem-solving, or evaluating case studies. These activities are more challenging for students, so they benefit from having instructor help.

Effective in-class activities engage students to apply concepts to authentic experiences in the classroom, further helping them to master course outcomes. Out-of-class time can be used to prepare students for the in-class activities or to reflect upon or extend the in-class activity.

Best activities online before class

Students benefit from acquiring knowledge that will be necessary in later activities. Aside from the standard "read the chapter before class" approach, try getting your students to the point where they have questions: The point where they need your assistance.

For example, in a math class this might mean including some problems at the end of the homework that students aren't expected to know how to solve. This makes students arrive at your next class with important questions, setting the stage for relevant learning. When you do that, your in-class session can take the learning further instead of summarizing what was in the reading/lecture.

A few suggestions

• Reading/watching lecture
• Taking video quiz
• Activity to summarize/reflect on lecture
• Annotating readings
• Reading checks, multiple attempt quizzes

Best activities in classroom

Do these types of activities with other students and the instructor present to leverage collaborative learning, negotiation of meaning, and possibility of failure as a learning experience. The instructor can facilitate and guide, establishing a safe, supportive environment for growth.

A few suggestions

• Creating something collaboratively
• Evaluating a piece of work - measures how well they understand a successful model
• Any activity that asks students to reshape, expand on, extrapolate from, and apply what they know

Best activities online after class

Once students have been guided through the in-class experience, they are prepared to fly solo. Students can benefit from personal reflection or advancement of ideas, as well as further stages of collaboration now that the ground rules or expectations have been set.

A few suggestions

• Evaluation or peer review
• High stakes assignment
• Reflection on experience
• Collaborative project that draws from a variety of content and makes use of multiple processes

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