Hybrid learning is one of the most effective methods of training your hybrid workforce.
Why?
Because it enables your organization to deliver training to remote employees and in-person alike. Instructors can also mix up the type of learning environment or materials used to ensure learners are engaging with their training and getting the most out of it.
According to studies, employees in a hybrid learning course had considerably greater learning scores and satisfaction rates than learners in traditional face-to-face classes.
Participants in hybrid learning courses also reported a better feeling of community compared to learners in in-person training sessions.
Benefits of hybrid learning
Providing your learners with a mix of materials, settings, and training methods will yield better training results compared to traditional means.
Here’s some examples of hybrid learning benefits for your organization:
Convenient to learners and instructors
Hybrid learning allows instructors and employees to use a mix of onsite and remote learning to complete training courses. Instructors can set up asynchronous training ahead of time with the correct materials. Employees can then consume that learning content when they are able to at their own pace.
Both parties can then come together during a synchronous training session to practice what they’ve learned.
Flexible learning environment
Some employees learn better on their own, while others prefer an instructor at their disposal helping guide them through the learning process. Instructors can lead the training session in-person, from home, or through a pre-made curriculum.
Either way, the combinations learning professionals can come up with to properly train employees is way more flexible than the traditional single-training approach.
Better time management
Hybrid learning benefits the organization as a whole when providing a mix of online or in-person training. Employees can consume learning materials after hours at their own pace without cutting into working hours.
Training can also be set during normal working hours either in a conference room, at the employee’s desk, or even working from home.
Learner and instructor interaction
Unlike a full asynchronous learning experience, hybrid learning allows for both the learner and instructor to interact during training. This synchronous learning style can be throughout the entire learning process or during certain exercises.
Continued learning
Since hybrid learning is a mix of instructor-led and remote learning techniques, it provides employees with continual learning. Employees will have access to asynchronous learning materials online, or can join synchronous training sessions with their instructor.
More effective learning style
Traditional and direct training sessions force employees to attend in person, with an instructor, during a preset time, using ineffective training materials, in hopes they engage and learn new skills.
However, hybrid learning allows your organization to deliver training in the most effective way based on your employee's learning styles.
Personalized employee learning
Besides delivering in-person and remote training to your employees, hybrid learning makes it easier for instructors to personalize the learning experience for each individual, group, department, or location.
For example, using Continu provides instructors easy tools to create a personalized learning approach for learners. This in turn boosts engagement, discussions, skills learned, and course completion rates.
Increased engagement
Mixing up the types of training, learning materials, and setting gives instructors a variety of hybrid learning methods to choose from. Some courses might require collaborative learning or group discussions between learners. Each form of learning that requires interaction between learners will increase employee engagement tremendously.
Increased engagement during training is a great indicator of whether your training is effective and sparking interest.
Expanded access to knowledge
By uploading your asynchronous learning materials online, employees will have 24/7 access to training resources. That means learners can read, watch, and interact with on-demand training content or essential skills-based learning assets whenever they want.
Doing so unlocks continued and self-learning capabilities.
Using hybrid learning in the corporate workplace
Hybrid learning is a great way to make training or learning fun and interactive for both in-person and remote employees. Every employee has their own preferred learning style and certain training topics require different methods of delivery.
Forcing employees to learn or train a specific way will lower engagement and course completion rates while also affecting their ability to learn new skills.
For example, a typical Zoom (or Zoom alternatives) meeting where an instructor simply goes through slides and reads off every single word might not be effective. But, implementing interactive, individualized topics, and sparking conversations will allow both in-person and remote employees to engage with the training while retaining more of what they’ve learned.
That’s why instructors need to select the right hybrid learning model that’s the ideal fit for whatever topic is being trained.
Hybrid learning models
For a company with a hybrid workforce of in-person and remote employees, a single learning strategy might not cut it. That’s why instructors have come up with a variety of hybrid learning models your organization can choose from to deliver learning resources effectively.
Let’s check out each hybrid learning model in detail:
Hybrid flexible or Hyflex
This hybrid learning model is ideal for enterprise companies that have a large amount of both in-person and remote learners. The instructor starts the training with a lecture, video, or curriculum outline. Then interacts with each group separately for roughly 15 at a time. This gives a fair amount of instructor-led training to both parties.
Asynchronous lab
Creates an asynchronous lab-style learning environment. Meaning the instructor develops training materials ahead of time without the need to be present during the learning process. Learners consume these materials on their own time with work hours used to implement these new skills.
Asynchronous remote instructor
Similar to an asynchronous lab but the instructor is not physically present at the training site. They prepare learning materials, monitor both in-person and remote employees training progress, and offer post-training face-to-face interactions.
Digital learning stations
Learners work through a series of learning stations created ahead of time by the instructor. These stations contain certain parts of the overall training course. Employees can learn in-person or through Zoom breakout rooms. The instructor can set variable amounts of time and stations.
Interactive flipped
Instructors provide interactive slideshows to learners (both in-person and online) to complete asynchronously. Once the learners complete the interactive presentation, they discuss what they’ve learned synchronously in the presence of the instructor.
Project-based learning
Learners work asynchronously at their own pace on projects they’ve had input on designing with the instructor. This gives employees the opportunity to create their own training projects and improve their skills together through social learning. Training check-ins happen periodically and synchronously.
Synchronous direct instruction
This type of hybrid learning is currently what most companies and schools are doing during a mixed workforce. It’s the typical instructor-led training where in-person learners observe training on-site and remote employees connect through Zoom. The instructor leads the entire group of learners through a predetermined training course.
Synchronous jigsaw
Learners are given a small piece of the entire training course to master, a single topic or exercise they are to focus on. Then using collaborative learning, each employee shares what they’ve learned with the rest of the group connecting all the pieces together like a puzzle. This creates a peer learning environment.
Synchronous lab
Very similar to the asynchronous lab, but the instructor creates the training materials and is present during the entire training course. The instructor leads both in-person and remote learners through the course completion.
Synchronous three-part lesson
Designed to break up the training course into smaller, bite-sized learning. The instructor provides the context of the training, asks learners a question to spark interest, and then lets each group strategize and learn together. Instructors check-in periodically to track training progress of the learners. Finally, the learners and instructor come together to discuss the final training solution.
Hybrid vs remote learning
The difference between hybrid and remote learning happens at the point of training. Remote learning is fully digital, instructors provide training materials and courses entirely online. Hybrid learning is a mix of in-person and online training, where instructors choose which option works best for employee development based on the most effective delivery method.