Hybrid and Experiential Classes: The Future of Learning

More and more Allen students are taking more and more classes online, solely or as part of hybrid courses.

Gage Ruark

More and more Allen students are taking more and more classes online, solely or as part of hybrid courses.

Gage Ruark, Activities Editor

Allen Community College has added new hybrid classes to their schedule this year. In addition, the college is planning to implement experiential classes in the future. As a way to offer a different approach to classes for students, the hybrid and experiential classes are something Allen put a lot of time into pursuing.

The hybrid classes are a mixture of both face-to-face and online classes. With these classes, students will physically attend class 10 times a semester and the rest is online. With a ratio of two-thirds online and one-third face-to-face class time, this gives the students a taste of both a regular college class and a college online class. This irst semester Allen is offering public speaking and English composition I as hybrid classes; however, for the spring semester it plans on adding one more class, general psychology.

Tragan Sutton is a freshman at Allen who is currently enrolled in a hybrid Comp 1 class. “I like the hybrid classes since you don’t have to attend class every day.” Sutton said. “I think it’s a lot easier to plan around and also make things a lot less stressful unless your computer breaks down or something.’

EXPERIENTIAL classes, on the other hand, are something that are still being discussed for the college. These classes are a very new concept; when a student is enrolled in one of these classes they will not study in a classroom.]

Experiential classes take the opportunity to teach their students in an environment that fits the subject of study. For example, if one is enrolled in an art appreciation class, he or she wouldn’t meet in the art room on campus but rather might travel to an art museum in Kansas City or an exhibit elsewhere to supplement the classwork done online.

“This new type of class would take the student and put them in the environment necessary to understand and truly appreciate what they’re studying,” said Tosca Harris, dean of the Iola campus. “However, the experiential classes are something we are still looking into.We are hoping to possibly have these in the fall semester of 2018.”