International expert gives tips to improve hybrid classes

Author and educator Michael B. Horn talked about the hybrid future of education in his speech at Tec de Monterrey’s 2021 National Teachers’ Conference.

“It’s the first time we’ve had the opportunity to use technology to deliver a lot of the information that changes how faculty use their time,” Horn said.

The specialist said that following the COVID-19 pandemic, a hybrid model has evolved with a mixture of remote and on-site education formats.

“Now, the question is: how we can make the most of the on-site format?” he said.

In his speech “The future of hybrid learning,” the expert shared some tips with teachers on how to take advantage of the hybrid models:

1. Invest the extra time that technology gives you in your students

Horn said that technology can modify how teachers use time in the classroom, so they can be more accessible to guide students.

“Technology can deliver the main content allowing you (the teacher) to dedicate more time as a personal tutor,” he says.

He said that if students have learned class content on their own, teachers can encourage them and interact at a more personal level in the classroom.

“You have more time for advising and guiding students in order to understand their motivations,” he said.

2. Facilitate dialog and experiences

Instead of only providing content, teachers can facilitate experiences and guide students through them. 

“You’re not just delivering knowledge but you’re also facilitating dialog and the experience. You’re like a concierge service for navigating different opportunities, Horn said.

This frees up more time for project-based learning in which teachers give content to students, even if the teacher hasn’t created it.

3. Use the best content

“You don’t even need to create all of the content yourself. Just select it from a variety of sources to put together a strong learning program,” says Michael.

This way, teachers become curators of content and make sure it’s appropriate and beneficial to the class.

“You can use the world’s best content to reach your students”, Michael says.

He also says that not only should there be content such as videos or recorded classes but active learning should be promoted with questions, information searches, or interpreting content.

“You can use the world’s best content to reach your students.”

4. Choose key skills to teach

Horn says that teachers become designers by choosing instructional strategies and pointing out the set of skills students should master.

“You ask yourself, ‘How am I going to manage the time we have together? How do I expect them to work remotely and how are they going to carry out their projects?’” he says.

“You ask yourself, ‘How am I going to manage the time we have together? How do I expect them to work remotely and how they are going to carry out their projects?’”

5. Provide active feedback

Michael says that by spending less time teaching content as in traditional classes, teachers now have more time to give feedback.

To this end, he says that active feedback is necessary and not just an evaluation at the end of the course or each unit.

As an example, he mentions applications such as the Duolingo app, which teaches languages through responses and in-the-moment feedback, thus keeping students involved.

“Students make decisions, they decide how they will master the material, and you play the role of a facilitator and an evaluator,” he says.

6. Provide after-school guidance

“Sometimes the problems that challenge us as students aren’t about the content itself, but something external, something outside the school, something that happens outside the classroom,” Horn says. 

He also says that, depending on what teachers have done with the technology and the class model, they may have time for personal conversations to identify reasons for poor student performance.

“Maybe when you know the reasons, you can guide or support them so that they can continue to make academic progress,” he said.

7. Working together with the students

At the end of the speech, Horn said that learning is like going on a boat with students, where the teacher is rowing and has to do all the work.

“If we give each student skills and a role, it’s like giving them each an oar. Students and teachers can row together and go faster,” he says.

Michael thinks that this teaching system allows students to take up the oars and get to work.

He also says that there shouldn’t be any assumptions and that all the work and the way the classes are designed should be calculated and have certain standards.

“Let’s not assume that because they are digital natives, they know how to use this technology in this environment. Many haven’t had an experience like this.

“We must tell them in a clear and very transparent way, ‘This is the work you will be required to do, these are the evaluations, and this is how we’re going to work together,’” says Horn.

“Let’s not assume that because they are digital natives, they know how to use this technology in this environment. Many haven’t had an experience like this.”

Education expert

Michael B. Horn is a senior strategist at Guild Education, an education consultancy providing opportunities and improvement to America’s workforce.

Horn is also the co-founder of the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation. He’s the author of the award-winning book Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns and the bestseller Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools.

Tech & Learning magazine included him in their list of the 100 most important people in creating and advancing the use of technology in education.  He holds a BA in history from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

The National Teachers’ Conference

This is the most important annual event for Tecnológico de Monterrey’s undergraduate and graduate teachers.

Teachers from all National Schools meet to share learning, best practices, and experiences. Activities and forums are set up to address relevant issues for the next school year.

David Garza, rector and executive president of the Tec, thanked all the teachers for all their work this year.

“At Tec de Monterrey, we stand out thanks to that enthusiasm and dedication that all of you have put in. I thank you for your commitment and I invite you to continue with that great passion for educating the leaders who are going to transform our country,” he said.

The National Teachers’ Conference is being held virtually from July 5 to 8.

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