EMC Education Services recently introduced a new Hybrid Classroom Delivery format on top of the also recently released small private online course [SPOC] offering. While the SPOC offering is currently only aligned to ‘Information Storage and Management v3’, the Hybrid Classroom option is offered for many more training titles. Both delivery formats allow globally dispersed customers the ability to learn together, physically or virtually.
But why offering the new delivery options?

Customer Scenario: The majority of learners are located in one site and the rest spread across the region or even the globe.

Efficiency Impact: Either you could fly in all the students locally OR alternatively, you make use of a “Hybrid Classroom Delivery” approach.

The hybrid model is used by training delivery organizations to allow for a better classroom utilization and minimize the risk of low enrollment class cancellations.

And what is it all about?

The “Hybrid Classroom Delivery” is a model where you mix students that are physically located in the same room as the instructor with people that are logged into a virtual classroom environment.

One big success factor to this format is a properly equipped “hybrid classroom”. The “hybrid room” allows you to deliver training to students in different locations and without much distraction to the learner that are physically attending the classroom training alongside with the instructor.

The virtual students follow the class via a virtual classroom software which includes a live video feed. At EMC, we are using digital smart boards, microphones and a tracking camera (the video camera is following the instructor – no personal interaction needed) – all of that, to make the training experience as easy and smooth also for the instructor.

The use of a Smart-Board allows us to transmit the whiteboard content directly into the virtual classroom software. This results in the virtual students to follow the whiteboard content digitally rather than via the video feed. This is especially important as obviously the quality of the video transmission is based on internet bandwidths and there is an option to participate virtually even without the video feed (used by learner with limited internet access).

One of our best practices is to ask all students to log into the virtual classroom software. This allows all students to stay connected with each other via a Chat function – independent of the attendee’s physical location.

Example of a student’s feedback:

… I WAS VERY PLEASED WITH THE FORMAT OF THE COURSE … it ALLOWED ME TO WORK AS NEEDED ON THE SIDE AS I HAVE TO MANAGE A TEAM OF 6 ENGINEERS. …

<The Instructor> students HAD AN EXCELLENT UNDERSTANDING OF THE MATERIAL AND were FULLY ENGAGED.