Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

As the world continues to evolve, are you considering a return to college? Perhaps you’d like to pursue that digital marketing career you’ve often thought about. Or, maybe you feel compelled to immerse yourself in a cybersecurity course. 

In either scenario, you’d be doing yourself a tremendous service if you started hunting down a hybrid program. This style of learning can be more effective than in-class or online programs. 

The U.S. Department of Education conducted a study that surveyed in-class, online, and hybrid programs. A high percentage of successful students were found in hybrid learners. 

One of the main reasons for this includes the natural flexibility students are afforded. Also, a blended program caters to numerous learning styles, not one. These students often enter the workforce uniquely equipped for our modern society. 

You don’t have to take the official word of the Department of Education study only. Below, we’d like to share some of the personal reasons why students love InterCoast’s hybrid program. Let’s take a virtual stroll and see if this manner of learning rings true for you, too. 

1. Hybrid Helps Students Go at Their Own Pace

Have you ever sat in a class and struggled to keep up with the pace of the professor? Perhaps you couldn’t record all your notes at once. 

With hybrid classes, you do spend some of your time with in-class learning. But then you go home, log on to the classroom portal, and pull up videos and various learning materials, including simulated exercises. 

Now, you’re faced with e-books, lecture materials, PowerPoint presentations, PDFs, scholarly articles, and other resources that will continue your education. But, they can be reviewed at your own pace within the module week. 

If you like to take careful notes, use your highlighter, employ tabs, and organize your materials at your own pace within the deadlines you are facing, then you’ve landed in the perfect situation to meet the needs of your learning style. And, why not review these materials early in the morning or late at night, during times convenient for you!

2. Hybrid Meets Students’ Learning Needs

That brings us to our next point. You hear it all the time. People debate whether they’re visual learners, aural learners, reading/writing learners, or kinesthetic learners. This is detailed in the VARK questionnaire, which explores these four learning types.

While most of us are predominantly one thing, we’re not just one type of learner. More to the point, different subject matters call for different styles of learning. 

Training programs that are either face-to-face or online don’t offer a lot of wiggle room. Hybrid learning, however, creates a unique opportunity to step into the classroom at certain times to meet their peers and even instructors live or recorded, and then return to a more flexible manner of learning. 

Those times you’re in class may be appealing to the part of you who enjoys kinesthetic or visual learning. Then, upon your return to the comfort of your home, you can employ your reading/writing learning style. Indeed, hybrid courses meet a broad set of unique needs for each student. 

3. Hybrid is Flexible

This is one of the chart-toppers when it comes to the pros and cons of virtual learning. It’s flexible. Professors will post course material on a specific day. Then, students have x-amount of time to review the material, post their written work, and interact with their peers. 

That means, if you are in an asynchronous class and you can’t make it to a Thursday evening class from 7 PM – 9 PM because your work schedule varies, then you can view the lecture materials. You just won’t complete your weekly assignment that night.

Perhaps you’ll do it Friday evening or Saturday afternoon, as long as you have time to turn in your assignments as required. This is the beauty of hybrid classes (and even fully online classes). 

With online learning, you’re free from the constricts of a traditional classroom setting. If you’re working and/or have a family, it becomes pretty difficult to commit to a rigorous schedule, especially when it’s all in person.

With hybrid courses, you only have to make room in your calendar for intermittent on-campus schedules and activities while the rest gets completed from the comfort and security of your own home.  

4. Hybrid is Still Engaging

Somewhere along the line, online learning developed a false stigma. Sometimes, it’s believed to be less personal than traditional classroom settings. Perhaps that was true when online education was getting off the ground. 

But, that is no longer true. Nowadays, online learning can be just as personal as face-to-face scenarios when you come across well-trained professors. 

When you have a professor who’s prompt to respond, encouraging, helpful, resourceful, and interactive, it changes the lay of the land. With tools like Zoom, real-time players, high-quality video content, and more, it’s possible to have an online experience that memorably engages teachers and students. Indeed, there’s no reason for an online classroom to ever feel stale and non-interactive.

5. Hybrid Students Perform Well

We’ve all read the studies. Since the pandemic, companies worldwide are learning that – for some – productivity has increased since employees have been able to engage in remote work. 

The same holds for hybrid learning. Some adults perform better in a hybrid program. Since this format provides a balanced life with flexible options, many students can rise to the academic challenges they face. 

Professors sometimes find that students’ written work is superior, and their attention to detail is superb. Professors may also see that students rise to the occasion regarding accountability.

A quick email will allow the professor to check in with a student individually and assess their work accordingly, allowing them to respond after logging in to the class. 

Since students can present information in multiple formats (online and in-person), it caters to every learning style and need. When technology is introduced into the classroom, it immediately creates a more hands-on approach for students. 

6. Students Can Leverage Real-World Skills

A hybrid program can align nicely with the real world. In the field, there are in-person interactions and digital interactions. As students learn in this forum, they’re developing written communication skills devoid of slang and shortcuts. 

Students are also conducting independent research, self-monitoring skills, and proficient communication across multiple modalities in many classes. Again, with the progression toward remote work and virtual meeting rooms, it’s more important than ever to be able to communicate well, no matter what medium you’ve been thrust into. 

7. Everyone is Involved

Online discussions allow everyone to step to the plate, not just the outgoing and boisterous. During the in-class discussion, you might find that the same handful of students are eager to interact with the professor and students. Those that are quieter or more demure rarely get heard. 

Yet, in an online discussion, all voices are created equal. As long as you’ve put forth an intellectual topic for discussion that you’ve proofread well, your voice may be heard, whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert. 

This not only goes for your initial posting but also for your response-work to your peers. Like drafting an email or a proposal, an online discussion board allows you to bring your thoughts to the table in a coherent manner that everyone can review and respond to. 

8. They Meet More People

Since the amount of in-class time is limited, students in a hybrid program can meet people from a wider geographic circle. 

When you remove the requirement to travel to campus two to three times a week, it opens the door to meeting people from a larger geographical area.

In the end, this can benefit everyone. Students are exposed to a wider variety of teaching and learning strategies and methods. And the friendships that we may develop can expand beyond the geographical borders that we usually live within. 

Is A Hybrid Program for You?

Indeed, a hybrid program is uniquely designed for you. It’s not just the instructors who benefit from this semi-recent style of learning.  The students can benefit too. 

Blended coursework allows adult students to rise to the challenges of a balanced life. Jobs are maintained; families are cared for; dreams are brought to life. 

When you’re ready to change your life for the better, we invite you to explore our programs. Electrical training and HVAC Technician are some of our chart-toppers. 

We also offer a wealth of certificate programs, including business programs, cybersecurity, and healthcare programs. Your future as a medical assistant in a post-COVID world will look very bright, indeed, and is also available in the Hybrid format. 

Feel free to reach out to us to learn more. And, when you’re ready, we invite you to fill out your admissions application. You’re just a few clicks away from a new future. If you can envision it, we can help you get there.