To: Dr. Erika Paterson
From: Noah Saini
Date: October 15, 2021
Subject: Proposal for Determining Feasibility of Improving the Accessibility of Hybrid Learning at UBC’s Campuses
Introduction
Since Spring 2020, COVID-19 has required UBC Vancouver and Okanagan courses online. The online-only learning experience posed various detriments and benefits to students. Student engagement with the material, the professor, and cohorts have all been affected due to online learning. Only this Fall have the majority of courses been offered in person.
UBC Okanagan’s Faculty of Management is currently offering all courses either entirely online (online) or online with optional in-person components (hybrid), year-round, to assist those unable to attend classes in person. Other faculties at both UBC campuses host courses entirely in-person, with few still being offered online. Despite the partially-welcomed return to in-person learning, students remain facing issues with pre-COVID instruction.
The intended audience for this proposal is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) of UBCO, Dr. Leslie Cormack. The DVC can act upon the recommendations, including marketing hybrid-learning for current and future students, communicating the information to department heads, teaching professors how to utilize the advantages, selecting suitable courses, allocating funds towards implementation, and consulting UBC IT to physically implement the resources required for the learning style.
Statement of Problem
UBC’s campuses host students from around the world, and the pandemic has vastly increased the difficulty of attending courses if one is from outside the country. Students must travel (if possible), be subject to mandatory vaccination, endure mental health struggles, and face general accessibility issues. During uncertain times, in-person classes can create circumstances that do not favour students. These circumstances leave students with limited options and can inhibit their learning experience overall.
Proposed Solution
A possible solution is to expand UBC Okanagan’s Faculty of Management’s approach by offering hybrid-based learning courses in other faculties at UBCO and potentially across both campuses. The Faculty of Management allows students to interact in live classes by having a live camera recording and displaying the entire classroom. The hybrid approach also enables students who can attend in-person to do so. As a result, students in management courses can watch recorded lectures, participate in live classes, learn from anywhere, interact with professors, attain an in-person experience, and utilize closed captioning to provide an excellent learning experience for all. Neither fully online nor fully-in person learning provides what hybrid learning can render.
Scope
Several questions need to be addressed to increase the likelihood of an expansion of the hybrid-based learning format:
- How many students will utilize the hybrid format of learning?
- What is the cost of implementing such a system?
- Is the learning format applicable to all courses?
- Will those giving instruction and administration support the change?
Methods
My primary data sources include consulting MGMT 442 professor Matt Husain and Roger Sugden (the Dean of Management). The goal of these consultations is to understand how hybrid learning works from an administrative and teaching perspective. I will also survey students in my MGMT 442 course to receive feedback on hybrid learning, as they are the end-user. My secondary data source will include research articles concerning hybrid learning. Additionally, I will inquire with the SUO (Student’s Union Okanagan) as another secondary data source to analyze various learning format complaints.
My Qualifications
I am a third-year management student focusing on project management at UBC Okanagan. I have conducted various types of business analyses, research papers and engaged in fully-online, in-person, and hybrid classes. My association with Professor Husain and other professors at UBC Okanagan allows easy access to some primary data sources. Furthermore, my work experience with the SUO will provide me with an in-depth understanding of students’ needs and wants.
Conclusion
Students at UBC’s campuses are left with complex and ever-changing learning circumstances, primarily out of their control. If students want to adjust to the COVID-caused learning situation, they will face financial, liberty, and potentially, health burdens. By answering the four questions concerning the issue at hand, I can determine whether or not hybrid learning is possible across many faculties. With your approval, thousands of students may feel greater peace of mind and study confidently while attending classes at UBC.