Hybrid Education Literacy Learning Optimization

Hybrid education is becoming more common in a reopening world after the COVID-19 pandemic. The convenience of minimal commuting, coupled with comfortable study environments and reduced costs, underscore why online learning stands out as an excellent choice for instruction. Nonetheless, classroom interactions remain essential to the learning process of language and Literacy students. Thus, hybrid language learning is a potential structure that creates an ideal learning environment for newcomers students. This research project investigates the merits of a hybrid mode of language instruction.  

Project Information

What is the HELLO project?

Hybrid Education for Literacy Learners Optimization (HELLO) is a study that examines the existing modes of hybrid instruction for Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) Literacy students and tests sustainable hybrid modes for Literacy and lower-level clients. We will contribute to the emerging field of hybrid education knowledge using data and expertise from the The Immigrant Education Society (TIES) LINC Literacy program and our partner institution, Edmonton Catholic School Division (ECSD) LINC Literacy. With this project, we are committed to a community-based participatory research model and include multiple phases of participation from the Literacy teaching community.

What are the aims of HELLO?

HELLO aims to:

• Study the impact that existing modes of instruction (in-class, online, and hybrid) have on Literacy learners.
• Assess the degree to which concentrated digital instruction benefits or harms Literacy learning.
• Identify and establish sector best practices for facilitating and improving newcomer Literacy education in a hybrid format.

Why is this important?

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting pivot to remote online Literacy program instruction, teachers, administrators, and researchers alike have noticed the markedly difficult transition experienced by Literacy clients. Each of TIES’ Literacy classes (moved online in March 2020) saw student difficulties in connecting to online classes and sustaining participation. This may be due to low digital literacy and the loss of valuable teacher-student interactivity, including the ability to effectively read lips and engage kinesthetically with classroom content. Conversely, online learning comes with many benefits for students including lower costs, accessibility, development of additional skills alongside class material (e.g. digital and writing skills), and so on (Appana, 2008).

Hybrid learning is an increasingly popular mode of instruction where students participate in a combination of online and in-person activities through the duration of a course. This mode of learning can demonstrate the same benefits as online courses but with additional opportunities to interact and communicate in person (Harrington, 2010). However, hybrid learning environments may also suffer from students becoming passive and feeling intimidated by language and technological barriers (Harrington, 2010). The HELLO project will evaluate, in a LINC classroom context, ways to enhance the online hybrid learning experiences of students.

Research Overview

Methods

This project will be accomplished by aiming to meet several goals through four phases.

Knowledge Building Phase

• Integrate knowledge and gather data on existing modes of hybrid and blended learning for Literacy students.
• Incorporate expert knowledge through Advisory Groups and co-creation sessions with participating Literacy teachers.
• Identify strengths and gaps in the current models and opportunities for development.

Development of Materials Phase

• Develop a set of resources/toolkits to support the development of long-term (sustainable) hybrid and/or blended learning modes of instruction for Literacy and lower-level clients.

Pilot and Pilot Evaluation Phase

• Test the toolkit in a real-life teaching environment through participating Literacy classrooms.
• Optimize and refine the materials through pilot feedback.
• Finalize recommendations for sector best practices based on pilot results, participant feedback, and final data.

Community Outreach and Data Sharing Phase

• Share Study findings and best practices openly through appropriate channels.
• Make finalized toolkit available to a wider audience as appropriate.

Watch

As the HELLO research progresses, we will be uploading videos that provide updates and details regarding the project.

Learn More

Under the HELLO Project, we have completed a mini-study on best practices for literacy learning:

• Best Practices For Newcomers With Literacy Needs A Small-Scale Study: Final Report
• A Quantitative Analysis of The Immigrant Education Society (TIES) LINC Literacy Program Delivery Modes

References

Appana, S. (2008). A Review of Benefits and Limitations of Online Learning in the Context of the Student, the Instructor and the Tenured Faculty. International Journal on E-learning, 7(1), 5-22. https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/22909/

Harrington, A. M. (2010). Problematizing the Hybrid Classroom for ESL/EFL Students. TESL-EJ, 14(3), 1-13. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ912069.pdf