One of the benefits of having the best students ever is that you—you—share great ideas. I’m in again.
(I’m told that as a new Pittsburgher, I should say “yinz” instead of “y’all.” That may take a while to get used to.)
Now that online options are everywhere, how can we make the most of our evening class time slots? Readers’ responses are below, along with thoughts from me.
I think that courses like mine with an accompanying lab would naturally fit into a hybrid approach of one evening meeting per week, rather than multiple evening course meetings. We have one course that we are currently developing as a one-hour lecture/two-hour lab meeting one night a week.
I’m in my second year of using this, and I’m still figuring out problems and bugs, but it seems to be working well!
I currently teach short courses in organic and biochemistry, primarily taken by dentists but open to students interested in nursing and more advanced chemistry courses who want an introduction.
Because of all the video lectures I did during COVID, I was able to adjust the structure using those videos as an introduction to the content and then use one hour of the class meeting per week to have a structured Q & A time. I also include group work where students will apply concepts to a real-world issue.
The other two hours are spent doing lab activities, giving students good visual options to understand the content.
The one-hour class meeting per week also makes for an ideal time to take in-person exams, avoiding some of the pitfalls that can occur with online exams.
Compared to my online courses, I am able to build relationships with students, especially during the lab, as I am able to have a little chitchat which is very important in building that connection.
I think this works because of the group of students who do this course. By the time they are enrolled, they are well into their program and have developed the critical skills needed to succeed in college-level studies.
The hybrid format has been a small thing for me for years. It often produces the best learning outcomes, but in my experience, students have always avoided it. When I ask students why, they often respond with “What is that?” or the fear that two formats will mean twice as much work.
However, in this context, the group’s appeal may be around that objection. And yes, self-assessment can be a way around AI-driven cheating. In-person classes can build rapport, while online classes allow for flexibility. The color impressed me!
I think some of your smart and worldly readers have already mentioned group programs, which naturally build into a support group for evening students. Southern Illinois University Carbondale operates a University Center, which is a high-performance group model for adults seeking an elementary education teaching license. It is a graduate program, but (and I think this remains true since I retired) it is often taken by people who have degrees but want to leave their field of employment to become teachers.
It’s a four-semester program that runs one night/one week and one full day on Saturdays, so students don’t need to quit their current jobs until they reach their final semester, when they do student teaching. When I was the commencement speaker for one group, my notes included the fact that one graduate was diagnosed with a brain tumor in the first semester and, despite two brain surgeries, chemo and 37 radiation treatments, graduated on time.
Creating a tight-knit group schedule can overcome many of the shortcomings of the evening and/or weekend format. I’ve seen weekend groups fall apart quickly when they put together a big clash of gen ed classes. Some of this is due to the variety of transfer credits and some in life is finding a way. But some of it, I think, comes from a lack of connective tissue. If there is a sense of “we are all in this together,” which may need to be consciously cultivated, then they will be more likely to stick with it.
In both of the first two examples, the students involved had significant college experience before taking evening and weekend classes. That flexibility can be important. The third example, below, draws a different student body.
I saw your column in IHE today. Your reference to the college’s childcare and nutrition program sounds like our pilot, Learning Circle, which started in the spring semester.
There is a great demand for education and career opportunities in the areas near our campus in Jackson, Miss. It is one of six campuses of Hinds Community College in the state (we are the largest community college in Mississippi and the second largest institution). Poverty and unemployment rates are high in this part of town, so we decided to offer those who couldn’t attend classes during the day because of childcare or work issues—or any number of other reasons—a structured way to start or finish a certificate.
On Tuesday nights, we offer 101 courses in science, math and English as well as CTE tracks, including culinary arts, logistics and welding technology. Classes are on a short academic calendar: Students complete two classes in one semester. The response has been positive. We had 40 people sign up, and they used the childcare—which is staffed and staffed—and enjoyed a dinner prepared by one of our chefs. Most say that without this type of funding they would not be able to go to college at this time. We plan to expand to other campuses in the future.
I like this a lot: It combines short courses—known to improve success rates, especially for students with difficult health—and childcare and nutrition. For students who are parents, knowing that their child is being fed and cared for can make it easier to focus in class. (The food issue is almost as much about time as it is about money; making dinner for the kids every night is a huge time commitment.) In terms of replicating the model, my first thought is the responsibility of childcare, but there may be ways to handle that. I have seen gyms that will watch young children for several hours at a time; this may be the same. I’m not a lawyer myself, I have to defer to this point. With 40 students spread over that many programs, I will also worry about making small cuts as students continue their programs.
Without obligation, however, it strikes me as a good idea. I would like to hear about retention rates over time. It sounds like the kind of thing philanthropists would want to support, and it could be life-changing for some students.
Thanks to everyone who wrote! Seeing new and constructive ways of dealing with the new reality gives me hope. As always, if you’d like to add to the discussion, please email me at deandad (at) gmail (dot) com.
