1. HYBRID COU URSES FO COLLEG PREPAOR GEARATORY STUDENT Y TSSepptember 20 | thesys 010sintl.comABSTRACT OF EFFECTIVE PRACTICE E CEEvery sc chool must continually improve academic qyquality at a lower cost/student wwhileoffering a full rang of cours ge ses. The hy ybrid mode is increa el asingly demmonstrating thegability to meet this range of needs. Hyybrid or bl ended co urses combine classrroomexperien nces with online resources. During July an August 2 ond 2010, studeents met in thenclassroo for key lectures, sm group or individu work acommall ual ctivities, lab and revbs, viewstwo day per week. This clas time was integrate with a fu online course incluyssss edull udingreading materials, interactiv learning tools, dis veg scussion b boards, ass signments, andother reesources, th student used during the re hattsemainder o f the week Teachers andk.sstudents provided conclusions about their ex perience a s dt along with measures tohdetermine learning effective g eness and best practtices. Sixteeen hybrid courses w d werecompletted by 156 students utilizing a Learning Maanagement System (Lt LMS) in couursesdevelop ped by Thesys Internaational. Results indicat compara teable to impproved learrningoutcomes at a lo ower cost per student comparred to traditional classroom-basedcourses.DESCRIPTION OF EFFECTTIVE PRACCTICEIntroducctionHybrid or blendeed learning empowers student s to becom independent learners,gmethe kind of stude d ent they will need to become upon enw t entering college. FairmmontPreparatory Academy, locatted in Anaheim, Califfornia, offe ered the fo ollowing hy ybridcourses during the 2010 Sum emmer Schoo term: Algol gebra I CP, Algebra II/TrigonommetryCP, Biology CP & Honors, Chemistry CP & Hono rs, EconomCmics CP, En nglish I/II/II CP,Geomet CP, Hea try alth, Pre-Caalculus CP, US Governnment CP, U History CP, and WUSWorldHistory CP.This pap identifie the results obtained from thes hybrid cperes dsecourses ask king: 1. Are learning outcomes in hybrid courses co A g s omparable better, or worse relative e, r to the traditotional classroom settin ng? 2. What are ch W haracteristic of succe csessful studeents in a hy ybrid course? 3. What additi W ional best practices can teache rs use in hybrid cour c rses to imp prove outcomes? o 4. What do stu W udents say are their ke behavio for onlin learning?eyorsne ? 5. What is an effective mix of classr W e room and o online time?? 6. What type of conte Went should be learnd ned in the classrooeom and online environments? 7. Can student LMS usage behavior differenti C t rsiate betwee student outcomes?en 8. Can a hybrid course structure lower th cost pe student in secon Ce e heer t ndary education?Learning Outcome gesConclussions of learrning outcoomes stated by teach ers are sumdmmarized bbelow:Pa age 1

2. 1. Students ha the oppaveportunity to learn just as much, ao and probab more, in the bly nhybrid cour rse comparred to a fuully classro oom-based course. Th hybrid class he eaches restesponsibility and time manage ment in a yeaddition to the requouiredcurriculum. 2. The hybrid course wa better. The studen who we taking the course forTas Tntsereeadvancement were ve ery motivaated to do well, and easily kep up with the o pthoutside woro rk. 3. If the student is motiv f vated, their learning wrwas compaarable with the classrhroomle earning. 4. The hybrid course is somewhat the same as the claTassroom-on course, andnlysoomewhat worse becawause some students tr to shortc the mat s rycutterial. 5. The student were able to answer the que stions and get reinforcement of theTtsconcepts. I believe the hybrid course did en enhance the learning as a whole but eir eit depends on the stud todent. 6. The hybrid was a little worse fo my inte rnational sT or students du to langu ue uagebarriers. It would be more succebmessful with better voccabulary asssistance wwithinth passage (e.g., pop he es p-up windo ows with wo definitiord ions).83% of remediatio students earned a higher pa ssing grade taking a hybrid course,on safter receiving the failing grerade in a prior classr proom-base course (ed (versus 80 in0%2009 an 78% in 2008 for remediation students in traditiona classes). nd 2nal88% of students taking couurses for advancemea ent earned passing g grades in 2010compared to traditional classsroom (sam course in 2009 at 93% and 2008 at 88%.me) es dbrid advancThe hybcement stu udent grad distributdetions are ccomparable to classro eoom-based course outcomes, with a high ratio of A/B p hperformanc (see Figu 1 belowce ure w). Figure 1 FPa age 2 3. During Fairmonts summer program, th Geomet class w phe trywas held bo as a hyoth ybridcourse and as classroom-only course. Overall, stud a y O dents perfo ormed better in the hyybridcourse (see Figure 2 below). ( eFigure 2FSuccess sful Studen Charactent eristics/BehhaviorsSuccess sful students are no different in the hybri d environmd nment than the classrooom-only environment. Teachers commente that stu edudents who were successful in thenhybrid program exp xhibited the following traits:e 1. Self-directed learner, already high motivat d a hly ted 2. Mature enou M ugh to stay motivated and direc y dcted with th online co he omponent 3. Organized; completed the assignments in a timely manner O c 4. Participated consistently in discussion board Pdds 5. Took excelle notes during class and from readings at home T ent d s 6. Asked ques Astions, took all necess k sary quizze and test followed the deades ts,d dlines fo each chaor apter, and excelled in the classroe oom 7. Took the tim to do th reading, submitted assignmen before o Tme hentsother studeents 8. Averaged at least 2 ho Aours per noon-classroo day on the LMS; loomogged in to theo syystem ever day ry 9. Viewed the course as a 24 hour/day, 7 d ay/week c V s class; beneffited from self- motivation and parent involveme m aent 10. Thrives with less struct Th tureTeacher expresse a primary concern that many students a not as c rsed arecomputer savvyas expec cted.Teacher Hybrid Best Practic rsBcesTeacher described the follow rs d wing metho to enhaods ance and mmanage the hybrid coueurse: 1. Schedule tim in the come omputer la once per week to mabrmake sure t that studen ntsare able to access the online coma mponents o f the cours properly; do some o se ofth online work during the computer lab tim in order to see issu that hew g meuesst tudents ma be havinayngPa age 3 4. 2. During classroom time, present an overview of major topics and have students do a couple practice problems; after major concepts are presented and practiced, follow-up with additional readings and assignments online 3. Do as much hands-on, real-life activities during classroom time 4. Give the final exam online through the Learning Management System (LMS) 5. To keep students at the same pace and motivated to log-in to the LMS, post announcements each morning that highlight the daily assignment 6. Use synchronous communication tools for direct dialogue with students as needed 7. Devote the first half-hour of classroom time to questions from the online material 8. Dont "hide" future units from students--keep the course "wide-open" to encourage exploration of the content 9. Determine attendance by a meaningful interaction between the student and the teacher (for example, synchronous communications, daily email Q&A, discussion boards, chat sessions, etc) 10. Foster virtual collaboration by providing group assignments during classroom time to help students get to know each other/learn how to work together 11. To increase student accountability, set regular virtual office hours for students to contact the teacher with questions or homework issues 12. Begin the course (and/or course units) by setting clear expectations and giving clear instructions about the use of the LMS 13. Structure wet science labs with two days of classroom activities and a third day of in-class lab activityStudent Best PracticesStudents were surveyed at the end of the term for their ideas on best practices forstudents and teachers. They mostly recognized the importance of time managementand self-motivation, stating:For students 1. Stay on time with the homework; do not procrastinate 2. Manage your time well so that you do not fall behind 3. Study when you have time, and do the work before classroom sessions 4. Set aside sufficient time during the day to complete unfinished tasks 5. Choose a better work schedule than working at night--for example, do not waste a free day and expect to catch up on the online assignments the night before your classroom session 6. Do the homework assigned online on that same day rather than waiting 7. Review coursework as much as possible with your teacher and ask a lot of questions (during class or through email) 8. Review materials and progress everyday to make sure you are not falling behindFor teachers 1. Place all course materials online so that students can access them whenever needed 2. Use presentations in class, and be sure to upload them to the LMS so that students can review them later 3. Assign some of the labs online, if understandable Page 4 5. 4. Scheduling classroom sessions a few days apart (such as Mondays &Thursdays, or Tuesdays and Fridays) helps keep the online workload moremanageable 5. The more practice questions the betterMix of Classroom and Online TimeTeachers recommended a mix of classroom and online time that varied by subjectlevel (see Table 1 below).Table 1: Time Distribution Actual Used RecommendedSubject % Time in % Time inClassroom/OnlineClassroom/Online Sciences40% / 60%60% / 40%Math 40% / 60%40% / 60%English40% / 60%40% / 60%Social Sciences20% / 80%40% / 60%Content by Learning EnvironmentThe mix of classroom and online time provided teachers the opportunity to focusteaching methods on the best targeted environment. Knowing that the online contentcovered all of the necessary material for a course, teachers were able to spendclassroom time on more complex, critical concepts and/or go into more depth on keytopics. Table 2 (below) shows the recommended activities for both environments in ahybrid course.Table 2: Recommended Activities CLASSROOMONLINEDiscussion of abstract content Reading, viewing and listening, followed byBrainstorming and planningindependent reflectionPracticing interpersonal skills, presentations Asynchronous discussionDiscussion of new concepts and beginning to Team project developed online apply learning with guidance Video and text-based casesDemonstration of practices and processes Repeated practice with concepts and skillsReview of assignments using tools that allow students to work atGroup discussions, role play, debate, practicetheir own pace, including interactive speaking skills manipulative, games and simulationsProviding practice and feedback to students on Working on multi-media projects and complex or ill-defined taskssharing them with a wide audienceHands-on learning requiring use of specialized Individual tutoring with synchronous materials that are difficult to obtain or use communications, cyber-study groups without teacher supervision Knowledge checks using practice quizzes with automated feedback Peer review of student work Page 5 6. LMS Usa age and Le earning OuttcomesFinal grades of stuudents wer compare to key measures of students usage of thereedLMS, teesting for statistical correlation The gons. oal is not to fully eexplain all thatdetermines a stud dents grad but to understan the lev of activ de,ndvel vity needed toincrease the likelihood of earning a higher grad Table 3 below s e eh de. summarizes sixsmeasure that we esere tested, and the resulting co orrelation t the fina grade. T to alThesemeasureements support wha teachers already k at s know, but can now be monit toredduring classroom-t c time and vi the LMS prior to as sessments.iaTable 3: Measures of Student BehaviorCost Per StudentIncreasingly, schoo are disc olscovering th technol hatlogy-based programs can lower thed scost pe student, driven by effectiverb vely suppo orting more students per teacs cher.Generally, a hybrid course can be provided a a lower cost than a traditional p at rclassroo for the following reom feasons: Students ar more indredependent learners w which thus frees up t teacher tim tome effectively handle moore studen nts and/or multiple sections (i.e., improroved productivity Allocatio of existin resourc es can then be re-targ py). onng ngeted. Fewer textb F books and less printing is nece essary, as ccourse matterials are built in the LMSntoS Paage 6 7. Table 4 below summarizes the Fairmont Prep 2010 Summer School program andother programs which have reported reductions in cost per student (in university andhigh school programs) utilizing a hybrid model.Table 4: Hybrid Cost Reduction% Cost School Reduction Fairmont Prep, CA 33%University of Dayton, OH 44% Rio Salado College, AZ37% Penn State, PA30%Walled Lake High School, MI57%SUMMARYToday, every school must continually improve academic quality at a lower cost perstudent while offering a full range of courses. The hybrid education modelincreasingly meets this range of school needs. A hybrid course structure can: Increase Access Schedule flexibility enables students to take significant parts of a class 24x7.One teacher reported a student-athlete was more alert during theclassroom (than previously experienced) because the student had moreindependent study at a convenient time that fit the athletic schedule, andwas thus able to get more rest. The courses in this hybrid program were made available to studentsthroughout Orange and Los Angeles counties (in California) to meet theirsummer school needs (due to the state budget crisis, many local schools inthese counties were cutting summer programs during the 2010 schoolterm). Percentage of enrollees from Fairmont Prep69% Percentage of enrollees from other schools31% Improve Teacher Satisfaction During the term, teachers taught on-campus two days per week instead offive, providing them with schedule flexibility and resulting in reduced needfor day care or urban commuting. 12 of 15 teachers expressed they were pleased with teaching in a hybridformat. The lower satisfaction from three other teachers was due to a desireto increase the rigor of the content, or due to a predominance of EnglishLanguage Learners in the student make-up, who lacked languageproficiency to fully comprehend the material. Teachers learned new skills that are transferable to classroom instructionwith an LMS. Improve Learning Effectiveness Page 7 8. Hybrid courses capture the best of classroom and online capabilities. In theclassroom, teachers can focus on the most critical elements of the subjectmatter or go deeper into key material. They can do so because they knowthat the online portion addresses all the material needed by the student.The result is additional learning time and instructional elements with fewerdistractions for students while preserving teacher face-time with students. Provide Student Satisfaction Students were asked Would you take a hybrid course again? Yes 72% Maybe 14% (depends on course schedule) No14%REFERENCESBonk, C. J., & Graham, C. R. (2006). The handbook of blended learning: Globalperspectives, local designs.Pfeiffer essential resources for training and HR professionals. San Francisco: Pfeiffer.Cavanaugh, C. (2010). Blended education for primary and secondary pupils. Better:Evidence-Based Education 5(Autumn), 16-17.Cavanaugh, C. (2009). Getting students more learning time online. Washington, DC:Center for American Progress.http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/05/distance_learning.htmlCavanaugh, C., Barbour, M., Brown, R., Diamond, D., Lowes, S., Powell, A., Rose, R.,Scheick, A., Scribner, D. & Van der Molen, J. (2009). Examining Communication andInteraction in Online Teaching. Vienna, VA: iNACOL.Means, B., Toyama, Y., Murphy, R., Bakia, M., &Jones, K. (2009). Evaluation ofEvidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of OnlineLearning Studies. Washington, D.C. Available at:http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/evidence-based-practices/finalreport.pdfWang, F. L., Fong, J., & Kwan, R. (2010). Handbook of research on hybrid learningmodels: Advanced tools, technologies, and applications. Hershey, PA: InformationScience Reference.Watson, J, (2008). Blended Learning: The Convergence of Online and Face-to-FaceEducation, iNACOL Promising Practices in Online Learning, Vienna, VA: InternationalAssociation for K-12 Online Learning.Harwood, J., (2002). Mixed Delivery Model Proves Cost-Effective. Sloan-Consortium.Scarafiotti C., (2010). Redesign Lowers Cost per Student. Sloan-Consortium. Page 8 9. Bishop T., (2010). Mixed Model Course Redesign for Introductory Psychology. Sloan-Consortium.MDR/EDNet Webinar (2010). Improving Outcomes and Cutting Costs withTechnology.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe authors wish to acknowledge the Headmaster and the summer hybrid teacherteam for their hard work and great support: Mr. Bobby Mendoza (Headmaster), Dr.Cathleen Rauterkus, Mr. Nathan Silver, Ms. Holly Wilson, Ms. Kelly May, Mr. MarkHassoun, Ms. Michelle Paraiso, Ms. Deborah Terra, Ms. Virginia Phipps, Mr. Ken Logan,Mr. Remy Demont, Ms. Lola Coleman, Dr. Bob Varnold, Ms. Jackie Saldamando, Mrs.Carrissa Montenegro, Mr. Steven Duxbury, and Mr. Ivan Ortiz.AUTHORSDr. Cathy Cavanaugh Associate Professor of Education, University of FloridaRajeshri Gandhi Dean of Education, Fairmont Preparatory AcademyDr. Rebecca Wood Dean of Advanced Studies, Fairmont Preparatory AcademyHolly Wilson English Teacher, Fairmont Preparatory AcademyMichael Payne Program Architect, Thesys InternationalPage 9