Topics【Trends】Current Trends in Education Utilizing ICT

Preparation for Hybrid Instruction in Overseas Countries

【Trends】No.16 Published on October 27, 2020.

In "Trends," we will present various topics related to the current form of education that uses Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

In the COVID-19 turmoil, every sector of society is searching for a new normal. During the fall semester, Japanese universities have been continually investigating hybrid courses that combine online and in-person classes. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan conducted a survey from August 25 to September 11, 2020. The survey results revealed that for courses in the second semester of 2020, 80% of the respondent universities had a plan to utilize both in-person and remote instruction, i.e., to deliver hybrid courses ("On a Survey of Second Semester Course Delivery Policy and Other Matters at Universities and Other Institutions," MEXT).

Likewise, in overseas countries, continual efforts are being directed toward exploring hybrid courses.
EDUCAUSE, a higher-ed information technology association in the United States conducted polls in June and August on course delivery formats and published the results. The polls collected responses from 127 institutions in June (including 119 U.S. institutions) and 228 institutions in August (including 212 U.S. institutions) among EDUCAUSE members of higher education institutions throughout the world. According to the results, 82% of respondents as of June and 76% as of August planned to adopt hybrid courses for the fall 2020 semester.

According to the August poll, each institution is preparing for adapting to varying formats, as shown in the figure on the left.
The poll results also listed common challenges facing institutions, such as labs, student food and housing support, co-curricular activities, and student services. In addition, the poll results described examples of adaptation to the new normal with cases from Auburn University (augmented reality lab activities), Ohio University (real-time bidirectional active learning), and the Harvard Business School Online (virtual coffee breaks).
For more detailed information on these polls, please refer to the article posted on the EDUCAUSE website, "Fall Planning for the New Normal: Moving Higher Ed Online," September 15, 2020.

For the fall semester, higher education in overseas countries, as in Japan, seems to be continually exploring course delivery."Trends" will continue to report on what approaches are actually implemented in the higher education institutions and the challenges encountered therein.

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Published online: October 27, 2020 (Original article)
June 6, 2021 (English article)