Practical learning in hybrid environments: Can remote learning be active, authentic, and real?

Abstract

Online strategies designed to enable practical learning were in use prior to the pandemic. Nevertheless, in response to the rapid shift to online delivery during lockdowns, face-to-face practical learning was often postponed and replaced with traditional transmissive and theory-focused modes. This paper reports undergraduate and postgraduate university students' online learning experiences in New Zealand, where some practical learning approaches were evident particularly in the fields of teacher education, health or medicine, and sciences. Using multiple methods, data stemmed from a national survey followed by individual interviews and focus groups. Findings affirm that practical learning is possible in hybrid contexts, and is no less real than learning on campus. In-home or community-based activities, virtual simulations, online practice, and video-based learning all offer engaging opportunities for practical learning.

Keywords:

• practical learning
• hybrid learning
• teacher education
• medical education
• science education

Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge the invaluable work of the doctoral students who provided research assistance for this project: Ciara Blanca Alfonso (University of Canterbury) and Zahra Mohamed (University of Waikato). We would like to express our appreciation to all the students who took part in this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was declared by the author(s).

Funding information

This work was supported by small amounts of internal research funding from the University of Waikato, the University of Canterbury, and Auckland University of Technology.

Data availability statement

The data that has been used is confidential.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Dianne Forbes

Dianne Forbes is a senior lecturer in digital learning and teacher education at the University of Waikato. Her research interests are the human, social, and relational dimensions of learning through digital technologies. She studies innovative pedagogies, and the perspectives and experiences of students and teachers as participants in digital learning.

Dilani Gedera

Dilani Gedera is the teaching and learning manager at the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law, Auckland University of Technology. Her research interests include online pedagogies, video pedagogy, learner engagement, and activity theory. Her books are Video Pedagogy: Theory and Practice (2021) and Activity Theory in Education (2016).

Cheryl Brown

Cheryl Brown is head of the School of Educational Studies and Leadership, and co-director of the Digital Education Futures Lab at the University of Canterbury. Her research interests encompass digital and media literacies, digital well-being, digital inequality, and university students’ experience of digital education.

Maggie Hartnett

Maggie Hartnett is the director of the Teaching Academy responsible for academic professional development at Massey University. She is a senior fellow of AdvanceHE. Her research interests include motivation, technology-enabled learning, and digital inclusion. She is a board member of Ako Aotearoa, the New Zealand organization that supports tertiary education.

Ashwini Datt

Ashwini Datt is the curriculum development manager and course coordinator of Advanced E-Learning in Clinical Education in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences. Her expertise and research interests are in educational technologies and design. She is currently completing a PhD on the role of networks in building capacity for teaching with technologies.