WITH THE COVID-19 pandemic still ongoing, Yonsei University has implemented a new “blended learning” system for the fall semester in an effort to partially return students to campus. The fully online experience of the previous semester saw many students struggling to adjust to learning through an unfamiliar platform, which led to a number of issues ranging from miscommunication between students and professors to accusations of cheating during examinations. Blended learning, then, is effectively a compromise between the risk of spreading COVID-19 that a complete return to offline classes poses and the importance of proper face-to-face instruction for students.

All about blended learning

   Blended learning is a hybrid of online and offline classes with an ideal balance between the two being tailored to the needs of each individual class. But which classes are best suited for blended learning and how can it be best implemented? At Yonsei University, according to the Office of Academic Affairs, the form of classes has largely been left to the professors’ discretion. As a result, classes requiring laboratory experiments and discussion-intensive classes such as seminars seem to be the most common candidates. Blended learning can either be composed of two hours of offline and one hour of online classes or vice versa.

   Other universities in Seoul are also offering some form of blended learning this semester, though each is applying the concept differently. Most universities are basing their decisions on the number of students registered to take a course. Yonsei, in particular, has taken the unique approach of setting differing quotas for its Sinchon and Songdo campuses. For the former, fewer than 71 students must be enrolled in a class for it to be held offline whereas the latter requires 51 or fewer. Korea University is conducting blended classes in a slightly different way, called “NeMo Class”. NeMo Class allows offline classes to be shown through online platforms, and this allows students to take the lecture either online or offline depending on their situation. Meanwhile, Seoul National University divided the courses into four categories based on the characteristic of each course, and have divided the semester to weeks when classes can be conducted offline and weeks when they should be operated as online classes. However, if the government applies Level 3 social distancing measures*, all of the universities’ classes will shift fully online.

Yonsei University and Blended Classes

   Although Yonsei University has allowed professors to open offline classes under the appropriate circumstances, the majority of the courses offered will likely still be online. In the College of Commerce and Economics, there are 26 blended classes out of 95 classes; in the College of Liberal Arts, 104 classes are conducting blended learning out of 230 classes. Colleges that require experiments and practical training have a larger number of classes with blended learning. For instance, among 363 classes in the College of Engineering, approximately 37% of them are blended classes and 32% are offline classes. Students have had mixed reactions to the idea of blended learning. A student from the College of Liberal Arts, who wished to remain anonymous said that “I could see the upsides of blended learning as some classes where students had difficulty when they were held online will be conducted offline. However, I still could not fully understand the reason why school is implementing blended learning as it seems like its merit is small compared to the difficulty it poses to students.” A freshman in the College of Education Science shared a similar opinion. She added that “I actually prefer either fully offline or fully online classes. Blended learning will cause many inconveniences as the students have to go to school just for a few classes or even a single class. Students from far-away provinces especially will have to pay for their own accommodations or rooms in the dormitory to attend these classes.”

   On the other hand, there were students who had a more positive reaction regarding blended learning. Another student from the College of Education Science told The Yonsei Annals, “I think blended learning is a suitable solution rather than a new problem, considering that we are going through an unprecedented situation. Through online classes, I would be able to learn theoretical knowledge, of which I’ll be able to apply it into action and get feedback from professors through the offline classes. In short, I can take advantage of both formats through blended learning.”

   Conflicting views aside, it should, however, be noted that not all classes will be taught through blended learning, even among those that would be eligible to do so. This is because the university has actually given some level of discretion to its individual colleges in the decision-making process. While most have chosen to adhere to the school’s enrollment-based policy, there have been notable exceptions. The Global Leaders College and Underwood International College (UIC) have both elected to forego any form of blended learning and will once again conduct all of their respective classes online. The decision surprised many students including Lee Hye-jin, a freshman in the HASS division of UIC, who spoke to the Annals saying, “the greatest advantage of UIC classes is the fact that they are discussion-based courses where there are only a small number of students.” She questioned the college’s decision, emphasizing on the fact that most of its courses have less than 50 people. Lee Elizabeth (Fresh., Underwood Div.), shared Hye-jin’s opinion: “it's only fair that students receive a reasonable explanation behind why UIC is not included in the ‘under 50 rule’.”

Concerns regarding blended classes and the new semester

   There have, of course, been concerns regarding the possible spread of COVID-19 on campus. Hye-jin expressed her opinion that “holding blended classes means many students will stay in the dormitory. I am worried about COVID-19 and I think even if the school tries to follow quarantine guidelines and conduct regular disinfections, it will be hard for the school to control the large number of students.” The interviewee from the College of Liberal Arts also agreed by saying that “choosing to operate blended classes is a ‘double-edged sword’.” Students from the College of Education Science especially were worried as most of the major requisite courses are held offline.

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   The pandemic has required universities to consider and develop new ways of thinking about education. Though blended learning itself is not necessarily a new concept, COVID-19 has ensured its rapid implementation worldwide. For now, students, faculty, and professors hope that blended learning will be able to lessen the difficulties that they faced in the spring semester and provide a higher quality of education by combining the merits of both online and offline classes.

*One of the three levels regarding social distancing measures that the government has set; Level 3 social distancing measures prevent more than ten people from gathering together in one place and all offline classes will be stopped.