What is a hybrid course?
Hybrid courses are those in which some traditional face-to-face or seat time has been replaced by online learning activities. A hybrid course is designed to integrate face-to-face learning and online activities so that they reinforce, complement, and elaborate one another, instead of treating the online component as an add-on or duplicate of what is taught in the classroom.
There are several important benefits to hybrid courses:
- Flexibility for students and instructors, although it never changes the workload for either
- The opportunity to have face-to-face time with the instructor and the class, building camaraderie while enhancing learning
- Having even a small amount of face time increases interaction and community when working online
- Opportunities to present and learn course materials in a variety of engaging and valuable ways
- The best of both worlds
Introducing Towson University’s Hybrid PMP® Course
One of our most popular courses is our PMP® Prep Course. However, last year when PMI® introduced PMBOK® Guide—Sixth Edition, our previous courses became null and void. We spent a great deal of time building the new materials for our live class and tested over two classes to tweak and ensure that it covered the new materials in a way that was comprehensive and comprehensible. The next step was to design an equally robust online experience for our students.
So we talked to students, worked with the materials and tools that were available to us, and in the end, we decided to create a synchronous hybrid course. So what does that mean? A synchronous course is one that streams live while the instructor presents PowerPoint slides, lectures or uses other digital tools. For students who take the course, it means they will need to be present for the online classes though they can login to the sessions from anywhere that is convenient for them.
The hybrid class will also feature two days of residency when the students come to campus and meet with the instructor and each other. The two residency days will be Saturdays and are the first and the last Saturday of the program. On Mondays and Wednesdays, students will meet online, with the instructor. In totality, there will be twelve online meetings for a total of forty-eight hours, just like our live class. Attendance is required at all fourteen classes.
As a Registered Education Provider for PMI®, Towson University Continuing & Professional Studies has built robust courses, both live and hybrid, that rival a college class. Our classes require dedication and commitment and, in addition, our hybrid class requires self-discipline and self-motivation.
Our inaugural class will start January 19, 2019 and run through March 2, 2019. Residency dates will be Saturday, January 19 and Saturday, March 2, 2019. The class will meet online on Monday and Wednesday evenings, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. from January 21 through February 27, 2019.
