Hybrid Classrooms Versus Traditional Classrooms
By: Tobore Okolo and Tamara Naidoo

As a result of technological advances in society, the options for learning in and outside the classroom have broadened tremendously. There have been a lot of arguments about the advantages and disadvantages of the use of such technologies in the classroom. One major argument seems to be focused on the results from hybrid classrooms compared to the traditional setting. Hybrid classrooms incorporate characteristics of both the traditional and online classroom settings. Traditional classroom teaching consists mostly of face-to-face lectures given by teachers. Both sides have made valid points in the past, but this argument is ongoing. From our experience, hybrid classrooms seem to have the most beneficial results. In an article titled "Wiring the Classroom," Stannie Holt of InfoWorld claims, "Along the way, computers are changing the typical classroom from a traditional factory-like model into something more open, flexible, and self-guided, with multiple sources of information and autority." With the combination of World Wide Web access and face-to-face interaction, hybrid classrooms give the student the best of both worlds.


In traditional classrooms, lecture is the main form of learning. One characteristic of traditional learning is: The student is forced to be in the same time day in and day out (Silver 50). However, students have the advantage of having face-to-face interaction with the teacher which enhances their classroom experience. "Good learning...is collobarative and social, not competitive and isolated" (Black 1). Teachers feel that they can assess their students better through weekly interaction in the classroom.

The hybrid classroom incorporates characteristics from both the tradtional and the online classroom: "In the ideal, hybrid courses offer educators the best of both worlds" (Black 2). Hybrid Classrooms are able to have access to the Interned in order to enhance the learning process. Students have the benefit of having both face-to-face interactions along with having assignments available to them online at anytime. For example, students may meet in class only one day a week along with meeting in an online chat room for the other two days of class. The hybrid classroom is a new approach to teaching. According to Dr. Genie Black, "Students receive the benefit of face-to-face interaction with faculty and students while at the same time being exposed to web-based learning paradigms such as virtual real-time information maps, pictures, streaming video and audio clips."

Many teachers see the faults in both traditional and hybrid classrooms. Yet, more advantages seem to emerge from the hybrid types of classrooms as opposed to the traditional type.
"In a lot of repects, hybrids are simply necessary. In language departments, it can be quite succesful to combine face-to-face with online delivery, to practice conversation in a more authentic way"



Advantages of traditional classroom

by Barb Taliaferro

The disadvantages of a traditional classroom