Dive Brief:
- Testing of hybrid teaching formats at the college level — i.e., combining massive open online course delivery with in-class instruction — shows comparable outcomes to traditional teach formats, but with considerably reduced class time, according to a new report.
- The report says students in hybrid courses had the same or slightly better outcomes than traditionally taught students, as measured by pass rates, common assessment scores, and grades.
- The student outcomes were the same across student categories, including academically at-risk students, students from low-income families, minority students, first-generation college students, and remedial students.
Dive Insight:
The report, titled “Interactive Online Learning on Campus: Testing MOOCs and Other Platforms in Hybrid Courses in the University System of Maryland,” could help point the way for colleges and universities that are trying to figure out how to incorporate online teaching methods and capitalize on the popularity of MOOCs without cannibalizing their traditional offerings. The testing project, which began in November 2012, was developed by Ithaka S+R with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.