Over the course of the next few days, academic staff will receive a poster, courtesy of the Department of Education Innovation. The poster aims to highlight the many benefits of hybrid teaching for student success. The poster also shows the impact of hybrid learning.

UP is one of the largest universities in South Africa. We have many different students each of whom learn in their own way. This is why the hybrid teaching and learning mix matters.
Some students learn better when they are taught in a formal class, others excel when they figure things out on their own from notes or videos on ClickUP, and there are those who enjoy applying their knowledge and skills in practical classes, or classes that use interactive technology, presentations, in laboratories, or through work-integrated learning experiences or community engagement work.

All of these different teaching methods help our students to be more prepared for life beyond university (including the workplace) compared to students who are not exposed to hybrid teaching methods.
Research by the Department of Education Innovation has found that students who use ClickUP frequently, outperform less frequent users. Data from an international survey in which UP students participated show that 96% of students have access to a smart phone and most students own a laptop and value a course that had class time as well as online (ClickUP activities and resources) and practical sessions.

 According to the head of the Department of Education Innovation, Prof Gerrit Stols, “Hybrid learning is essential to all academic programmes because it prepares students for life-long learning and for the workplace of tomorrow.”

The Merensky Library’s MakerSpace also brings hybrid learning alive for students through hands-on training with 3D-printing, robotics, the Internet of Things and coding. These are all essential hallmarks of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Incorporating some of the offerings at the MakerSpace into your curriculum or educational delivery modes is an ideal way of getting students practically involved and taking initiative for their own learning on their own and at their own pace.

Staff are encouraged to keep the poster visible as a reference to assist their efforts in providing our students with the best possible resources and guidance. We hope that you will find this poster highly beneficial. Embrace hybrid teaching for student success!