Hybrid Courses for Students

What Is a Hybrid Course?

Hybrid classes at NOVA combine face-to-face and online instruction in one course.

In the Classroom

Typically, your hybrid course will meet 50 percent of the time in the classroom and 50 percent online. For example, 50 percent of the "contact hours"* of a hybrid will meet in class on one of the days of a Tuesday/Thursday or Monday/Wednesday weekly class schedule.

*"Contact Hours" refers to the in-class meeting time that roughly corresponds to course credits.

Example: A 3 credit course = 3 contact hours of class time, required per week. A "regular" class will meet in the classroom Tuesday/Thursday, 8:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m., but a "hybrid" class will meet in the classroom Tuesday, 8:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. and there will be online assignments in which you will working with other students in place of meeting on Thursday. These assignments are class, not homework. You will also have homework.

Online

Likewise, 50 percent of the "contact hours" of a hybrid course are online through a variety of learning activities. For example, if the course meets face-to-face on Tuesday, it will not meet face-to-face on Thursday. Instead, you will be required to complete online learning activities that will be equal to the second class meeting. The online portion will be different types of online assignments and will require you to be an active learner.

Challenges of Hybrid Learning

Hybrid courses are a specific mode of learning that may not suit every student. Some students procrastinate more than others; some are satisfied with barely passing a course. If you are this type of person, you may find a hybrid course to be more time consuming and difficult for you.

Success Strategies for Hybrid Learning

Your hybrid course continues outside the physical walls of the classroom. You must "take it home with you" and frequently communicate and work on the course before and/or after your "in-person" class meeting during the week and possibly on the weekend, depending on how your professor has set up the course and schedule. Here are some proven success strategies:

Is a Hybrid Course Right for Me?

This short quiz will help you determine if a hybrid course is right for you.