Between uncertainties and opportunities, hybrid courses are perhaps becoming the future of education. Whether face-to-face, distance learning or a mix of the two, it's difficult for participants to make a choice. The health crisis has changed the situation, and online training is now widely available. What should you choose between these different forms of learning? We break it all down for you!

On location, online and hybrid courses: definition

On location coursses, the "ancestor" of learning

On location, face-to-face, programs means that all participants, including the teaching experts, meet together in a physical location (a classroom, for example). The schedule, courses and additional documents can be deposited on a digital learning platform for easy access.

The benefits:

  • Optimum attention for participants.
  • All participants have access to content in the same way.
  • Easier interaction with the trainer and other participants.

Disadvantages:

  • The face-to-face course is not accessible if you live far away.
  • The format will have to be completely revised if the classrooms close again.

Online courses, booming thanks to video

Here, programs takes place entirely at a distance:

  • Synchronously: these are live courses, allowing interaction with the teaching staff.
  • Or asynchronously: courses are pre-recorded, so participants can watch them at their own pace, whenever they like.

To keep participants' attention, the teaching staff generally uses a variety of formats: text, video, audio, infographics, animations, etc. In some cases, evaluations are carried out face-to-face.

The advantages :

  • All participants have the same access to content.
  • Greater reactivity in the event of the venue or classroom closure.
  • The live format enables exchanges with participants and the teaching experts.

Disadvantages:

  • Limited attention span.
  • Greater or lesser retention of information, depending on profile.
  • Format not well suited to more "traditional" participant profiles (uncomfortable with digital tools).

Hybrid courses, the new generation of learning

The principle is as follows: one group of participants learns face-to-face, another from a computer.

Two main formats are possible with hybrid training:

  • The teacher can deliver his or her course to a group of face-to-face participants and to an online group. All take part in the same course at the same time (synchronous training).
  • The teacher delivers a live, face-to-face course to the first group, while online participants will be able to watch the replay (asynchronous training).

The benefits:

  • Freedom to learn, with live or recorded online courses, or face-to-face with a teacher.
  • Flexibility for participants who prefer face-to-face training.
  • The ability to interact with the teaching experts and participants (live, via chat, or a digital platform).

Disadvantages:

  • Potential technological bugs and slower connections.
  • Not the same access to content for participants.
  • Logistical complexity for the professor.
  • Difficulty of concentration for the professor, who has to manage a face-to-face group and an online group.

COVID, a "forced" catalyst for the digitization of training courses

The health crisis that has gripped our planet for over 2 years now has had many consequences in the world of lifelong learning. Like many other players, training institutes have had to adapt to the rules imposed.

The result? The digitization of training courses has literally exploded! We have had to redouble our ingenuity to stay in touch with our learners. A real challenge!

At Executive Education HEC Lausanne, pedagogical innovations have encouraged interactivity:

  • The introduction of interactive tools;
  • The creation of working sub-groups;
  • The opening of an immersive room called Horizon, to enable hybrid teaching, when the reopening of the classrooms was authorized.

Are you interested in this subject? Discover the impact of the health crisis on continuing education.

What if distance learning finally had its limits?

With COVID and the accelerated digitalization of training, many training institutes have changed their courses... from 100% face-to-face, to online and then hybrid training.

Today, we're witnessing a form of "collective U-turn", for several reasons:

  • At a distance, group work is limited.
  • Networking is less effective overall (we lose that spontaneous aspect).
  • For speakers, it's harder to keep participants' attention behind a screen. 
  • Participants can lose focus more quickly (home environment less conducive to learning - distractions, daily chores, etc.).

What about hybrid courses? Here too, we see a certain logistical complexity for training institutes. The trainer has to manage the people on campus, as well as those at a distance. It's all down to skill!

So what should you choose: face-to-face courses, distance learning or course hybridization? Frankly, it depends on your needs, your profile and your ability to learn. Some people will find distance learning via live or pre-recorded videos to be very useful, while others will prefer a more traditional environment, surrounded by trainers and participants... in the flesh!

To find out more, read our guide to choosing the right continuing education course.