The workshop on hybrid learning in progress at the Community College of Qatar.
Doha: Building on its comprehensive student-centred approach, the Community College of Qatar (CCQ) recently organised a workshop on hybrid learning, a new educational initiative that the College is preparing to officially launch by Fall 2020, to meet the diverse needs of students and offer them greater flexibility.
The event was organised as part of the CCQ’s efforts to attract international expertise and to draw on their experience in the field of hybrid learning.
Dr. Mohammed Abdous, assistant vice president for Teaching and Learning with Technology, and director of the Center for Learning and Teaching, Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, presented the workshop.
The workshop touched on a number of topics, namely, how to plan and deliver lectures using the hybrid learning technology, the best strategies to help students adapt to this technology, and instructions for faculty members to guide them in preparing content for this new learning approach. CCQ has also formed a specialized committee to oversee and tailor the initiative to the local context.
In recent years, the hybrid learning concept has gained momentum globally. The concept requires students to physically attend courses only for a number of days each week while pursuing their studies online from home or their workplace. This concept provides greater flexibility for full-time professionals or married women who care for their children and falls in line with CCQ’s mission to provide quality education to all segments of society using the latest technologies.
The flexibility that hybrid learning offers will help students complete their studies faster, acquire valuable technological skills, and equip them with the necessary skills to work and think independently, empowering them to meet future challenges in line with the requirements of Qatar National Vision 2030.
Dr. Khalid Al Abdulqader, CCQ vice president, commented: “The Ministry of Education and Higher Education has chosen CCQ among other higher education institutions in Qatar to apply hybrid learning to its academic curricula within the framework of CCQ’s strategy to provide maximum flexibility to its students, especially professionals, whose daily attendance presents a barrier to pursuing their education.”
Dr. Robert Ford, dean of Liberal Arts Division and head of the Hybrid Learning Committee, said: “The concept of hybrid learning requires students to attend College for a number of days per week and to pursue their studies online on other days as well as to participate in open discussions, interact with teachers and independently conduct studies. This approach is important because of its greater flexibility, and its ability to attract students who are unable to attend daily classes due to work obligations or other commitments. CCQ is in the process of applying hybrid learning technology to its various courses.”
Dr. Abdous also explained that the “hybrid learning system allows academics to better organize their lectures, assess new teaching methods, and acquire excellent technological skills. Recent studies also suggest that hybrid learning improves students’ performance and helps them better understand complex concepts especially since it allows them to undertake self-assessments and self-reviews.”
CCQ is currently training lecturers and structuring courses to incorporate hybrid learning.
