New Hybrid Courses Earn High Marks
Students enjoy flexibility and online community

It’s 6:30 Sunday morning. You brew coffee, log on to the Lasell network and into your class forum. There, you answer questions on this week’s case study and respond to classmates’ queries. Within an hour —while your family sleeps — you’ve completed part of your weekly assignment without leaving your kitchen. Welcome to the world of hybrid graduate courses, one of several creative learning options offered at Lasell. “Hybrid courses are just one part of our commitment to connected learning,” explains Mark Sciegaj, director of the graduate program. “Hybrids meet in the classroom one week, with the alternate week taking place online.”

“Taking a hybrid course was a terrific experience,” raves Kim Menard, who’s concentrating in Elder Care Administration. “You don’t have pressure to get to campus every week. You still have to do the work, but it’s on your own time.” This made a huge difference to Menard, director of the American-International Children’s Alliance and a mother of three who lives in Marblehead.

“Hybrid courses let you balance work and school,” agrees Sean Mari, a support consultant at FT Interactive Data in Bedford, concentrating in Management. “Now it’s much easier to do two classes a semester. You also get more involved with classmates. If you don’t understand something – even if it’s 10 o’clock Sunday night – you can post a question and someone always responds. By communicating online, I’m much more likely to walk up to people in class and talk to them than I would be in a typical course.” “Hybrids allow students to learn from each other,” notes Dr. Nancy Waldron, assistant professor and former controller for an international company. “As a teacher, I feel I get to know students better in my hybrid classes. I can see what they’re learning and where questions come up to better tailor the classroom experience. I’ve also been fascinated with the level of interaction online.”

“Everyone tends to be less inhibited online,” observes Menard. “You can be more thoughtful with your answers. It gives everyone a chance to respond, not just the few who raise their hands in class.”

And hybrids aren’t just for the technologically savvy. “It’s very user friendly,” says Waldron. “I walk my students through the online forum step by step the first week at the computer lab. I also give them brief instructions they can refer to the first few times they log on.”

So far, Lasell’s hybrid offerings have been a resounding success. “Enrollment jumped by 33 percent in the first semester we offered them,” says Sciegaj. “This summer, the second session will feature all online courses. We’re also adding a six-week online compressed course to the fall 2006 semester in addition to six hybrids.”

“Hybrid courses give adult students a high-quality experience while also offering them flexibility,” concludes Waldron. Students agree. “At first I was concerned the learning experience wouldn’t be as rich,” says Menard. “What I found is that the hybrid experience was as rich if not richer than traditional courses.”