SUNY New Paltz offers hybrid classes to students during fall and spring semesters. These classes provide students with a blend of the traditional in-the-classroom-learning and a more modern online format. Professor KT Tobin, a New Paltz alumni, instructs the Introduction to Sociology hybrid class. She has previously taught seated classes and online classes, but this her first time teaching a hybrid course. According to Tobin, technology is useful when it comes to teaching, and she finds it helpful in her Introduction to Sociology hybrid class.

In class discussions may be uncomfortable for some students, which prevents the whole class from participating. As stated by Tobin, online discussions through SUNY New Paltz’s Blackboard program provide a richer conversation amongst students, and a more comfortable environment for people to share their thoughts. Blackboard provides an organized space where Tobin can create her discussion forums, and for both her and her students to communicate their knowledge. The program also benefits students and teachers all over campus with the array of features it offers.

 

PowerPoint is also a program Tobin finds useful in her classes. “You just need to update the slides before each lecture,” she says, which is something she prefers over relying on lecture notes. Tobin admits that she has tried going a semester without depending on the PowerPoint presentations, but students have made it abundantly clear that they prefer to learn by the visual presentations and examples it provides. Tobin also finds the application helpful because she can upload the content to Blackboard for students to access and continue using as a resource. In the future, Professor Tobin hopes to integrate Classroom Response Systems, also known as “the clicker,” which provides a virtual way for students to participate in classroom lectures. “It would help me touch base with students as I go along and see what I still need to spend time going over.”

Professor KT Tobin

Tobin asserts that technology has provided students today with quicker access to more information through the internet. This is different from when Tobin was enrolled here at SUNY New Paltz, because students were taught to navigate and conduct research through libraries, whereas now most material is gathered online. As she believes having information more       accessible is a good thing, she warns that students should discern which sources are reliable and provide quality information.

KT Tobin says she is “always looking for ways to do things better,” and sees teaching as a two way street. While she imparts her knowledge onto her students, she appreciates when she is also able to learn from them. In the past, her students have introduced her to presentation software such as Prezi, which she now uses to present some of her research. Overall, she believes hybrid classes are beneficial because they provide the best of both worlds, and give students the opportunity to seek clarification in ways other than emailing. As she states, “This creates a learning curve for everyone.”