Space and Time in Hybrid Teaching and Learning Environments: Two Cases and Design Principles

Abstract

The opportunities and challenges of teaching and learning in the same and different space and time have been discussed in the field of distance education for several decades. Within COVID-19, a new type of experimenting and research interest in so-called hybrid learning has emerged. In this article, we present the results from exploring “hybridity” from the perspective of classical categorizations of different forms of learning in terms of time and space. We explored the phenomenon through two cases with the same high-level strategic objective, serving hybrid interaction. In case A, we evaluated university library spaces renovated to serve hybrid teaching and learning. In case B, the focus was on the implementation of a university course redesigned during the pandemic from blended learning to include more hybrid interaction. Multifaceted data was collected, including video recordings (case A), recorded videoconference sessions, and written student feedback (case B). Qualitative data analyses relied on ethnography and contextual inquiry. Based on the analyses of the case studies, we propose five design principles for designing hybrid teaching and learning that aim to overcome the limitations of the same space and time: (1) Ensuring access to required tools, infrastructure, and support; (2) Design primarily for same time, different place learning; (3) Design primarily for same time, same place learning; (4) Less is more; and (5) “Le bon Dieu est dans le détail.” These design principles provide guidance to the design process of hybrid teaching and learning to increase the chances of reaching a successful solution.