I find this initiative to be quite compelling as a student who has studied media and communication in the past and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in sustainable digital life. Our world was flipped upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced educational institutions like ours to adopt hybrid teaching strategies. I learned to admire hybrid strategies from my own experience adjusting to remote work during the pandemic in Abu Dhabi.
Exploring the connection of sustainable practices, digital technology, and education is something I’m genuinely interested about. Exploring the sustainability of hybrid teaching techniques seems like the ideal next step in both my academic and professional development. I’m most excited about how these strategies can promote sustainability across multiple dimensions in addition to how they might help learning.
Here are some initial ideas to steer our research:
- Environmental Sustainability: Let’s delve into the environmental impact of hybrid teaching. This means looking at things like carbon emissions, energy efficiency, and resource usage compared to traditional in-person teaching.
- Teaching and Learning Methods: We can explore the effectiveness of various teaching and learning methods in hybrid education, including innovative approaches like flipped classrooms and interactive digital content.
- Digital Accessibility: Ensuring that our hybrid teaching methods are accessible to all students, regardless of their diverse needs, including those with disabilities, is a vital aspect to investigate.
- Student/Teacher/Organization Perspectives: Let’s gather insights from students, teachers, and university administrators to get a full picture of their experiences, the challenges they face, and the benefits they see in adopting hybrid teaching.
In my journey as a media and communication graduate, and as someone who continued to work remotely during the pandemic, I strongly believe in the potential of hybrid teaching. I’m eager to use my skills in media and communication to gather and share data effectively. This could involve using various digital platforms to communicate our findings and engage a broader audience. My previous experience in international social media marketing and digital media management will be a valuable asset in crafting effective communication strategies for this project.
In a nutshell, my goal is to assist Tampere University in making informed, data-driven decisions regarding the integration of hybrid teaching methods. This way, we can ensure these methods align with our sustainability objectives and meet the diverse needs of our students and faculty.