When it comes to choosing classes, some students take either online classes or on campus classes. Every student learns differently, some even take hybrid classes, in which part of it takes place on campus and part of it takes place online.

For some students this can be very helpful. For those who have a busy work schedule, they can work at their own pace. Sometimes they can even work ahead and not have to attend the on campus classes.

“It gives people an opportunity to not spend that much time in class if they’re stressed for time,” said student Alana Buchenot.

Students who work ahead also have the option to not attend those lessons as long as they maintain their grades.

“In the math hybrids I teach, students may work ahead of the class, take exams early provided they maintain a strong average and receive further consideration as to their class attendance” said ECC Math Professor Gary Grohs.

At the same time, hybrid classes also have disadvantages. Some students may not fully learn the material. For example, in a math class, if you are on MyMathLab, some students may skip the lecture videos and also might rely too heavily on the “Help Me Solve This” option. While this can be helpful, it can prevent a student from being able to solve the problem on their own when it comes to tests.

“There must be an independence to the approach of learning and to take full advantage of the hybrid structure. Questions should be brought to class each time the course meets,” said Grohs.

There is also the concern of turning in homework on time. The drop box closes at the exact time of the deadline, making it impossible for students to turn in late work.

“The only bad thing is turning the work [in] late and there is some that will have deadlines and the dropbox will close automatically, so [the] lesson here is: never do homework at the last minute,” said student Rachael Jackson.

While Hybrid classes give students the best of both worlds, it is not recommended for those who may not pick up the material as quickly as others.

“I would suggest that those students take the full course instead. You get more of an opportunity to learn the material better and more thoroughly,” said Buchenot.

There can be many reasons why students may take hybrid classes, for some it could be a crazy work schedule that may prevent them from taking the full class. Others may want to learn at their own pace. According to what other students have told Grohs, it could just be about trying to better themselves.

“They feel more empowerment for taking control of the learning process and gain greater confidence and independence for life-long learning,” said Grohs.