Why We Chose Hybrid Learning for Equity Education
One of the hardest things I ever had to do as an educator was figure out how to put my 8-hour in-person equity training into an online format.
Especially in the beginning, I felt like I didn’t know what to do or how!
I had so much to learn: How to create and edit videos, where to find images (with permission to use them online), and quite frankly, how to translate everything I shared in-person into recorded videos and virtual classes.
It took me months to finish our Justice at Work training, and I came close to giving up almost every week.
However, after I pulled myself together and finished the course, it was absolutely worth it.
After sharing the course with the world, I saw how putting my thoughts about identity, power, and equity into an online format that complements live facilitation was the best thing I could have done to honor both the material and the people who are eager to learn and grow in their commitment to justice.
Now I know: When it comes to justice & equity training, the hybrid (recorded & live) approach wins hands down.
As a seasoned facilitator, I still believe strongly in the benefits of live, synchronous learning.
I love bringing people together, because I know that…
Nothing compares to being able to talk with other people about the topics that are most important to us.
Small group discussions help build trust through connection & sharing together.
Dialogue is key to transformative learning. (I am heavily influenced here by Paulo Freire who believed that dialogue is the source for liberation. Dialogue is not a debate and does not involve one person acting over another, but rather people working together towards a deeper understanding of the world. It’s in this spirit that we host our breakout sessions.)
While all these things are true, it’s also true that only-live options can be overwhelming for some (and therefore less accessible).
I’ve witnessed my students shut down the learning process due to the overwhelming amount of content and limited time to process it.
I myself have been guilty of asking people to reflect on the past, their own experiences, and troublesome current conditions… only to immediately jump into a small group discussion with people they barely know.
Alternatively, I’ve had many students request access to my presentation slides or additional resources I recommend, because they hope to remember or recapture the magic of our live sessions… only to never find time to review or decipher them.
That’s exactly why I believe in using a both/and hybrid model for learning.
By developing online coursework in addition to live speaking and facilitation, we’ve created even more opportunities for staff to find common ground, process deeply, and co-create their own plans for change.
Our students can have more meaningful conversations about identity, power, justice, and equity when they’re given: 1) common readings and references 2) time to reflect on the content, and 3) group activities to make meaning of the material.
By adding asynchronous learning opportunities, we can:
Provide participants plenty of time to learn at their own pace. This is particularly important when we share material that contains challenging concepts and hard history.
Offer participants privacy so they can learn without an audience. Since everyone has an individual log-in, participants don’t have to worry about other people expecting them to know things or respond to things in a certain way.
Give participants time and space to return to the material later. This allows each person to review and reference concepts and resources whenever they want.
Share content using various media. This makes our content more accessible and beneficial for various and diverse learning styles.
Hybrid coursework means we can use both self-paced and live workshops to deliver content and engage participants.
Are you trying to decide between bringing in speakers or providing an online program? Trust me when I say: You shouldn’t choose between one or the other. For best results, you need both.