Hybrid to Improve Lab Engagement

This week, I was fortunate to discuss the topic of hybrid/blended learning with several colleagues. At our university, we are in the middle of an intense pilot study on how hybrid learning can benefit our students. So, this week, I would like to share the recently published article entitled, “Can we use online technology to rejig the traditional laboratory experience to improve student engagement?” by Cossu, Awidi & Nagy (2022).

The study compared a traditional lab approach to a hybrid approach incorporating face-to-face lab teaching with online learning in an effort to overcome the challenges faced in the teaching of large courses. The aim of the hybrid approach was to enhance student outcomes and engagement through self-directed learning, subsequently reducing student dependence on the instructor.

This experimental-mixed method investigates the impact of shifting from a traditional laboratory model to a hybrid laboratory model [The use of lab practicals is instrumental to problem-based learning (Lal et al., 2017)]. Evidence suggests that the use of online content led to more frequent student interaction with the learning material. The pre-lab tests encouraged better preparation. Splitting the lab intervention into different phases was better perceived by students than the traditional style. The findings should encourage instructors to adopt concepts used in the delivery of hybrid solutions.

The researchers pose two major questions:

Does restructuring a traditional 3-hour lab exercise into smaller learning units with online learning material and streamlined face-to-face time lead to better student engagement?
As a result of the restructured lab experience, what learning interventions have had a significant impact on the student learning experience?

The researchers created and shared the following student survey:

The online lecture material prepared me for the experiments
I used the online lecture material for the practical lab sessions
I used the online lecture material several times for the preparation
The online quizzes stimulated my curiosity
The pre-lab activities stimulated my curiosity
The pre-lab quiz (gatekeeper) did prepare me better for the lab exercise
I am more motivated to do the pre-lab work outside of regular class times
Splitting into pre-, actual lab time made data collection and F2F time more efficient
Submitting a digital copy is more convenient than handing in a hard copy
I prefer getting quick feedback on my performance in the lab report
Linking the experiments 3 and 4 to real world problems helped to understand the theory

References

Cossu, R., Awidi, I & Nagy, J. (2022) Can we use online technology to rejig the traditional laboratory experience to improve student engagement?, Higher Education Pedagogies, 7:1, 1-19, DOI: 10.1080/23752696.2022.2068155