Introduction

What is Distance Education?
In the past few years, Distance Education has become an increasingly important topic in the educational world. Moller, Foshay and Huett (2008) explain, “The explosive growth of distance education is rapidly transforming post-secondary education… Distance learning is rapidly becoming a popular choice for continuing professional education, mid-career degree programs, and lifelong learning of all kinds “(p. 66). Distance education is viewed as a mode that is capable of removing geographical barriers to provide education to people who are scattered over various distances (Masalela, 2009). The definition of Distance Education has evolved across the years. In its most recent definition, Distance Education can be defined as: Institution-based, formal education where the learning group is separated, and where interactive telecommunications systems are used to connect learners, resources, and instructors. (Schlosser and Simonson, 2009, as cited in Simonson, Smaldino, Albright and Zvacek, 2012)

How does Blended/Hybrid Course differ from other Courses?
Blended learning is not part of an institutional transition strategy from face-to-face to fully online courses, but a discrete option which institutions choose on its own merits (Allen, Seaman and Garrett, 2007). By definition, Blended/Hybrid course “combines online and face delivery; thus 30% to 79% of the course’s content is delivered online” (Simonson et al., 2012, p.5). Allen et al. (2007) illustrate, “Face-to-face instruction includes those courses in which zero to 29 percent of the content is delivered online; this category includes both traditional and web facilitated courses. The remaining alternative, online courses, are defined as having at least 80 percent of the course content delivered online” (p. 5).

Is Blended/Hybrid course suitable for you?
Blended/Hybrid courses form an interesting and engaging alternative for the traditional face-to-face course. Students can learn more in a hybrid course, because they can use outside resources more easily than in a traditional course, but they still have face-to-face access to the instructor and the other students in the course; thus, students who take hybrid courses appreciate its convenience and flexibility to adapt to individual work and family schedules (©Learning Technology Center, 2012) Blended/Hybrid courses are for students who seek active and collaborative learning experience in both classroom and online environments, or those who are leading a busy life and prefer replace some on-campus time with online study. Blended/Hybrid courses would also be a suitable choice for those who wish to enjoy the flexibility of distance education while keeping the human and personal interaction with the instructor and other students.

Nevertheless, Blended/Hybrid courses cannot suit everyone. Many students say that the combination of both online and in-class learning required in a hybrid course demands more time, dedication, and time-management skills than traditional face-to-face classroom learning (©Learning Technology Center, 2012).

** What to expect in a Blended/Hybrid Course? **
Masalela (2009) sums up the benefits and expectations of using Hybrid courses as:
 * Students may work on their own schedule in different locations since the online segment of a course is usually asynchronous.
 * Students enjoy the best of both worlds: direct contacts with their teacher and the convenience of online technology.
 * The material is always available for the students. They can access it any time.
 * Students form a community of learners through discussion forums; this improves interaction between the learners and the instructor and among themselves.
 * Students become motivated to explore related topics on their own, and develop critical thinking skills; thus, they become self-directed and develop lifelong learning skills

References

Allen, I.E., Seaman, J. and Garrett, R. (2007, March). Blending-In: The extent and promise of blended education in the United States

© Learning Technology Center (2012), Are hybrid courses for me? Retrieved from []

Masalela, r. k. (2009). Potential benefits and complexities of blended learning in higher education: The case of the University of Botswana. Turkish Online Journal Of Distance Education (TOJDE), 10(1), 66-82.

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson