The South Korean government has implemented living with the COVID-19 as its keynote for quarantine since Nov. 11^th. As it claims to help society gradually return to normal life, the education field where in-person communications between lecturer and students had been prohibited is restoring its original methodology. University education has embarked on its return to normal life—expanding face-to-face lectures. Sogang University has also introduced the modified lecture system named hybrid lectures in the middle of this semester. In fact, the newly coined concept such as blended learning has emerged since the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. A hybrid course, however, is expected to be adaptable to the COVID-19. In the current situation where the Sogang members encounter new lecture methodology, The Sogang Herald will investigate hybrid lectures’ implementation guidelines and responses from students and present some considerations that must be contemplated in the long term.

What is the New Emerging Hybrid Course?

From the official announcement from the Office of Academic Administration^[1], the Sogang University COVID-19 Committee has decided to turn lectures into hybrid lectures. The concept of a hybrid course refers to the combined course of online lectures and face-to-face lectures. It only corresponds to some theoretical lectures which had been announced as in-person lectures at the time of course registration. As a result, more courses became face-to-face lectures in addition to experiment-focused courses and physical education practice curricula. The Sogang administration office presented guidelines for classes held in classrooms while also providing ZOOM^[2] to students in real-time. The established principle of hybrid class on its exam and evaluation is based on the face-to-face exam. 

  This shift in the Sogang lecture methodology joined the stream that many other universities have also decided to adopt. In fact, Seoul National University and others also introduced the combined lecture systems. As they followed the relieved social distancing level and coined a combined lecture system, the hybrid lecture system is becoming more essential. Currently, students can submit concerned documents and are accepted their absence with leave if their offline classes overlap with vaccination schedules or if they test positive for the COVID-19. Although their absence would be accepted, the students cannot help but miss the lectures taught in class. However, the hybrid courses replenish the shortcomings of the previous system and guarantee students’ rights to be given lectures despite some obstacles. Moreover, the new system can cope more easily with the abrupt wave of pandemics during the semester.

ⓒSogang University Official Blog

The Reality of Hybrid Lecture System

Students’ Responses to the Hybrid Class

Then how are actual hybrid classes being operated now? Although the original guideline of its operation was to deliver offline lectures in real-time, there have been some variations adopted depending on the composition and characteristics of courses. For example, the Arts of Storytelling course of the School of Media, Arts, and Science allowed voluntary and limited offline participation of students considering its characteristic that depends on story writing practice and professor’s feedback on the works. Student A (21, Dept. of Journalism & Strategic Communication) taking this course elaborated, “students who have to receive feedback on their assignments in the following week can selectively participate in face-to-face classes. The students who attend face-to-face are given the chance to get detailed feedback on their works.” Na Kyung-hoon (16, Dept. of Mathematics) commented that the Introduction to the Theory of Probability course of Dept. of Mathematics provides the recorded video of on-site lectures on cyber campus right after classes.

  Regardless of the formation, students experienced the benefits of expanding the proportion of online lectures. “It is beneficial that students living in rural areas or abroad can take the class despite the sudden change in its schedule. In addition, the students attending face-to-face classes are more willing to actively engage in class,” said student A. “It is more likely for me to concentrate on the lecture when I participate in offline class than when I listen to online class at home. In addition, the advanced curricula of the Dept. of Mathematics are difficult to understand at once in class. But now I can re-watch the recorded video after attending the on-site lecture. It helps me understand better,” said Na.

  The two interviewees also pointed out some obstacles and restrictions regarding the hybrid lectures. One of the issues is a systematic problem occurring from connecting the online and offline simultaneously. “At the offline classroom, there were some noise problems such as howling of sounds when several online students unmuted their mics,” reported student A. The inconsistency of the participation method accounted for another issue. Na said “as students are given the options between online and offline attendance, it is freer for students. But due to the inconsistency, it became difficult for the TA to check students’ attendance. Considering this limitation, the professor announced that the attendance would not be included in the grade evaluation this semester. All these combined, the offline attendance rate has naturally decreased since its beginning, and there leave fewer grounds for implementing a face-to-face lecture with a few students.”

Professor’s Response to the Hybrid Class

Professor A who is implementing a hybrid lecture course this semester shared his overview of the method. Professor A explained his lecture with, “considering the crisis of unexpected inaccessibility to Zoom such as the KT network disability case, I record lectures with a tablet and upload them on cyber campus for students’ better accessibility. Of course, the TA’s contribution plays a significant role in such a process.” He also added the class operation principles complying with the quarantine guidelines. “All the people involved in the lecture must wear masks and take distant seats for quarantine. In addition, considering the possibility of students’ concerns on droplets or any other infectious source during inter-communication, cyber campus or email communication is mainly carried out for Q&A sessions for safety.”

  Professor A commented, “Above all, the biggest advantage of a hybrid lecture is that students and professors can experience campus together and fully experience the academic atmosphere through in-person meetings in the classroom. The face-to-face lecture, which was considered natural two years ago and enabled the experience of the academic community of professors and students, has been no longer possible due to the health threats. However, as the Sogang community collectively tries to introduce a hybrid methodology, the danger of instructors giving a one-way lecture through online classes could be relieved. And I think highly of providing options to the students with the introduction of the combined lecture.” He also pinpointed the effort made by the university authority, administration office and TAs for a better environment of hybrid lecture. “Thanks to the administrative office rapidly identifying the necessary infrastructure for hybrid classes, the university authorities invested a lot of money to replace podiums with electronic ones and purchased new adapters connecting new podiums and laptops.” Finally, professor A encouraged maintaining the Sogang community to be open for free discourse for the advancement of sustainable hybrid methodology.

The Obstacles of Hybrid Lecture

The first assignment of the hybrid lecture is to construct infrastructure and to provide more detailed principles to overcome the gap between untact and on-site students. More infrastructures are needed to improve the image definition and sound quality of lecture videos when transmitting real-time classes. Especially, as the untact students are more likely to be alienated from class than face-to-face students, the compensation of class implementation rules is needed. The next barrier is the establishment of a fair evaluation standard, to prepare for the situation where a hybrid lecture system is prolonged. Currently, the restricted absolute evaluation method is applied to hybrid courses, same with other forms of classes. However, it is necessary to come up with a unified evaluation system with online lectures when extending the hybrid class method. It is because even within the same subject, hybrid teaching methods are differently adopted according to professors’ decisions. The principle of offline examination only mandatory for hybrid courses can trigger the issue of fair evaluation between online and offline courses regarding the possibility of cheating during untact examinations. Above all, the equivalent empowerment of students, professors, and university authorities when deciding the course operation principle is the top priority. Students’ voices should be equally reflected in the decision-making process, and the final result should also be quickly notified to the students.

The Lesson that Hybrid Lecture Leaves

The implementation of hybrid lectures seems a rational decision in response to living with the COVID-19. Some assignments, however, are still left for the guarantee of every individual’s educational rights and fair evaluation. The implementation of hybrid lecture presents a considerable implication of university education for students in the pandemic era. The pandemic situation hindered in-person communication between university members, especially having a significant impact on the class of 20 and 21. Students no longer share a sense of community by sharing a campus. They rather adapted themselves to the efficiency of untact lectures, and this ultimately shifted their focus on efficiency in learning. As a result, a majority of students are willing to keep taking online classes because they take less time and provide more time to seek various experiences. This will envision the complete paradigm shift in university education, emphasizing the balance of academy and outbound experiences, thereby doubting the need for offline academic communication. The Sogang Herald hopes Sogangers consistently watch the progress and consequence of hybrid lectures and contemplate on its sustainable way for the post-pandemic era.

By Hong Chae-won (Campus Reporter)

codnjsh@sogang.ac.kr