Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a rapid evolution in teaching methodologies, leading to the widespread adoption of hybrid education – an amalgamation of in-person and online instruction, synchronous and asynchronous activities, and compulsory and flexible tasks. This paradigm shift has prompted educators to explore innovative approaches to engage students effectively in hybrid learning environments. In this blog, Sandra Abegglen, Mia Brewster, Fabian Neuhaus and Sarah Wilkins, all from the University of Calgary, share how their Playful Hybrid Higher Education project seeks to address this challenge by investigating the integration of play and creativity into hybrid teaching practices.
The Study
The Playful Hybrid Higher Education project, situated within the School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape at the University of Calgary (Canada), and funded by the Imagination Lab Foundation, explores the experiences of faculty and students in the hybrid classroom to develop guidance for faculty navigating this new and evolving model of education, with an emphasis on playful and creative pedagogy. The research seeks to answer a pivotal question: How can faculty foster community and collective student success in hybrid environments using play and creativity?
The research is undertaken in four phases:
Phase 1 – Literature Review | Autumn 2022 – Spring 2023
Phase 2 – Surveys | Spring – Summer 2023
Phase 3 – Interviews | Summer – Autumn 2023
Phase 4 – Report | Autumn 2023 – Summer 2024
The current phase (Phase 4) involves data analysis and report writing.
Initial Results
Literature
Between Autumn 2022 and Spring 2023, a systematic literature review was conducted. The initial literature review included a search on key terminology using the University of Calgary library catalog. Later, this search was expanded to further literature databases. Currently, the Playful Hybrid Higher Education literature database contains 223 items. It is available open-access on the Playful Hybrid Higher Education website [https://playhybrid.education/Literature], under a Creative Commons Licence, together with insights on the literature included.
Surveys
In addition, two surveys with higher education faculty and students were launched. Survey 01 explored experiences within the hybrid classroom. The survey served as the initial step in understanding perceptions of hybrid education, focusing on attitudes and experiences of both faculty and students. The survey targeted education professionals and learners at Canadian Higher Education institutions, and it was conducted online. Participants were asked to allocate approximately five to ten minutes for completion. All responses were completely anonymous. Survey 02 was aimed at undergraduate students at the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, entering the Bachelor of Design in City Innovation (BDCI) program, although it was also open to other students at the University of Calgary. The online survey invited students to articulate their experiences of different learning modes: in-person, online and blended. Participation in the survey was completely voluntary, with no personal data collected. Completion of the survey took approximately five minutes, depending on the length of the answers provided.
Survey participants were clear in that hybrid education is the future. They believe that hybrid education enhances educational experiences and fosters a multitude of tangible skills. It can also improve accessibility and reach. However, concerns were raised in regard to engagement, availability, academic integrity, and technological support. Students in particular said they liked the flexibility of hybrid courses, yet they were not sure if this mode would accommodate all their needs, in particular their wish for personalized support and peer interaction. Despite this, most of them believed that the future classroom would consist of a mix of in-person and online learning because: “Students need flexibility”.
Interviews
Further, 13 interviews with faculty in Canadian Higher Education institutions were held. Education professionals with backgrounds in social work, arts and history, literature, architecture, gaming, and more shared their perspectives and insights on playful hybrid higher education. They also speculated about the future of education. Questions asked included:
- How do you define hybrid education?
- How would you describe your understanding of playfulness in hybrid learning?
- Have you noticed any specific changes (positive and negative) or trends in hybrid learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic?
- What do you envision for the future of hybrid higher education learning? Any emerging trends that you believe will shape this approach?
- How do you assess the effectiveness of hybrid learning in the courses you have taught so far? Are there any specific assessment methods or criteria you find useful?
- How do you start to foster a sense of community when teaching in a hybrid approach?
- Do you believe that hybrid learning is applicable to all disciplines or are there any subjects where it may be more challenging to implement? Why?
- Are there any specific tools, technologies, or resources that you find helpful for incorporating playfulness into your hybrid learning courses?
- What are some of the difficulties you have faced when teaching in a hybrid mode? What are some approaches you’ve tried to overcome these difficulties?
- Let’s forget a little bit about hybrid learning, but in your overall teaching experience, what are some playful activities or approaches you have incorporated as part of your curriculum? Can you provide an example?
- What advice would you give fellow instructors/ faculty wanting to implement playful approaches in hybrid learning to better engage students?
All interviews recordings can be accessed online.
Takeaways
The literature review, interviews and surveys conducted provide valuable insights into the evolving landscape of hybrid higher education teaching and learning. Key takeaway from the research includes: the significance of blending experiences for successful learning. If learning is hybrid, then we need to think carefully about time, timing, space, place, mode, modality, technology… and the connection between them as well as the humans involved. Targeted learning design can help define tasks, tools and technologies, core content, methods and methodologies, assessments, and opportunities for learning. However, what is needed is the development of pedagogies that can inclusively and holistically engage students in the in-between spaces of hybrid education. The forthcoming final report will highlight opportunities for educational professionals, including learning developers, to playfully and creatively engage students in hybrid classrooms. Keep an eye on our Play Hybrid Education website.
Acknowledgment
A huge thank you to the #Take5 editorial team: Sandra Sinfield, Tom Burns and Katharine Jewitt – and ALDinHE for the opportunity to showcase this project.
Author Profiles
Sandra Abegglen is a Researcher in the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape at the University of Calgary, Canada with a strong interest in collaboration, co-creation and social justice. Her research focuses on online education, hybrid pedagogy, academic literacies, creative learning and teaching methods, inclusion, and identity. She is the Principal Investigator for Playful Hybrid Higher Education and TALON, the Teaching and Learning Online Network – and she holds the project lead for several other education research projects. Sandra has written about her research and teaching practice in a variety of books and journals, and she has presented her work nationally and internationally. She was awarded for multi- and interdisciplinary work with the Team Teaching Award 2020 by the University of Calgary and the Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE) by AdvanceHE 2022.
Mia Brewster is a Master of Architecture student at the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape at the University of Calgary and a graduate assistant researcher with the Playful Hybrid Higher Education project. Mia has an extensive background in visual arts and is interested in combining their knowledge of art and space to enhance the built environment on a human level. They analyzed and illustrated the results of the survey report for the Playful Hybrid Higher Education project.
Fabian Neuhaus, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the University of Calgary with the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape. He is the research lead for the Richard Parker Initiative (RPI) and the principal investigator for NEXTCalgary [https://nextcalgary.ca/]. His research interests are the temporal aspects of the urban environment, focusing on the topics of habitus, type, and ornament in terms of activity, technology, and memory. He has worked with architecture and urban design practices in the UK and Switzerland as well as on research projects at universities in Switzerland, Germany, and the UK, gaining beside his academic expertise, diverse design experience. Fabian supports the Playful Hybrid Higher Education project in an advisory role.
Sarah Wilkins is a Master of Landscape Architecture student at University of Calgary’s School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape. Sarah’s academic background is in Fine Arts and Recreation and Leisure Studies. Her previous studies in these fields have contributed to her interest in creative learning, public space development, and the natural landscape. Sarah was involved in analyzing current literature on hybridity and play, and creating visual representations of these found definitions for the Playful Hybrid Higher Education project.
