WHY HYBRID CLASSES?
What are Hybrid or Blended courses?
"Hybrid" or "Blended" are names commonly used to describe courses in which some traditional face-to-face "seat time" has been replaced by online learning activities. The purpose of a hybrid course is to take advantage of the best features of both face-to-face and online learning. A hybrid course is designed to integrate face-to-face 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.
WHY ONLINE CLASSES ?
Students take distance courses because they are convenient and cost effective. Other students take them because they have an added value that meets their preferred learning style or their unique situation. Distance courses at First Response Training Group are just as academically rigorous as face-to-face courses. They are the same in terms of credit, objectives, competencies, content, and transferability. For example, distance courses and face-to-face courses use the same textbook, assignments, discussion questions and exams.
Benefits of Online Classes
Convenience and flexibility: Online learning is particularly beneficial to adults with multiple responsibilities and highly scheduled lives that otherwise could not fit face-to-face course schedules into their daily routine.
Cost savings: Distance students save on travel costs (gas, meals, parking, etc.), childcare expenses and money from hours they would have given up at work.
Increased learning options: Some students take a distance course because it is a practical option that meets the requirements of their educational program.
Accessibility: Distance classes have potential to help students who could not attend face-to-face classes on campus due to geographic locations and physical limitations (Example: limitation in note taking and mobility). However, this doesn’t suggest that distance learning is the answer for all students with disabilities.
Personal comfort: Some students enroll in distance courses as a personal learning preference. For example, distance learning lets them attend a class when fully awake and attend in increments of convenient time blocks.
Equal participation and thoughtful contribution: Students often feel that they can better listen to the questions or comments made by their peers, take time to digest the message and provide thoughtful response. Students may ask for clarification of any comments that are unclear. Since everyone gets a chance to contribute, students are less irritated with those that over-contribute.
Develop life-long learning: Students learn to be courteous and respectful to others. They improve writing and technological skills through constant communication and interaction with technology-enabled content. These are critical skills to the workplace of the 21st century
Benefits of Online Classes
Convenience and flexibility: Online learning is particularly beneficial to adults with multiple responsibilities and highly scheduled lives that otherwise could not fit face-to-face course schedules into their daily routine.
Cost savings: Distance students save on travel costs (gas, meals, parking, etc.), childcare expenses and money from hours they would have given up at work.
Increased learning options: Some students take a distance course because it is a practical option that meets the requirements of their educational program.
Accessibility: Distance classes have potential to help students who could not attend face-to-face classes on campus due to geographic locations and physical limitations (Example: limitation in note taking and mobility). However, this doesn’t suggest that distance learning is the answer for all students with disabilities.
Personal comfort: Some students enroll in distance courses as a personal learning preference. For example, distance learning lets them attend a class when fully awake and attend in increments of convenient time blocks.
Equal participation and thoughtful contribution: Students often feel that they can better listen to the questions or comments made by their peers, take time to digest the message and provide thoughtful response. Students may ask for clarification of any comments that are unclear. Since everyone gets a chance to contribute, students are less irritated with those that over-contribute.
Develop life-long learning: Students learn to be courteous and respectful to others. They improve writing and technological skills through constant communication and interaction with technology-enabled content. These are critical skills to the workplace of the 21st century