TIME SPENT ONLINE VS. TIME SPENT IN CLASS

According to the University of Wisconsin, there is no concrete way to decide how much of the course should be online and how much should be in-person:

The schedule and structure of hybrid courses can significantly vary from one class to another. This underscores the pedagogical flexibility characteristic of the hybrid model. The instructor of a hybrid course typically determines what instructional activities should be online or face-to-face depending on the learning goals, course objectives, content, and available resources. Similarly, the timetable for face-to-face versus online work can be organized in quite different ways that may reflect not only pedagogical criteria but also the particular circumstances of the instructor and students. (http://www4.uwm.edu/ltc/hybrid/faculty_resources/questions.cfm)

There are varying schools of thought related to the amount of time that should be spent in the classroom vs. online.

The class meets for ½ the normal period of time in person and the rest of the time is spent online.
The class meets for ¾ of the normal period in person and the rest of the time is spent online.
Informal meetings during lunch hour and on as-needed basis work well, as does a more structured approach that evenly divides to the two deliveries
Meet with the class face-to-face for a one to two weeks and meet online the following week.

Sometimes the population/schedule/content dictates how often the course should meet:

Working professionals might meet once or twice per month. A heavier emphasis would be placed on online assignments.
A course that meets three nights a week could replace one of the three nights with online exercieses.
A course that is project driven might meet often early in the semester to lay the groundwork and often at the end to allow students to present. The heart of the course would be offered online.

Updated August 16, 2007 by Steve Schwarz