Secondary schools across Surrey and White Rock will soon offer a limited number of hybrid learning courses to Grade 10, 11 and 12 students as the district pilots the online and in-class learning model in the next school year.
At the December public board meeting, the Surrey Board of Education approved a motion directing staff to offer up to three senior level courses in a hybrid learning format in all secondary schools on a trial basis for the 2025-26 school year. The courses will be available to Grade 10 to 12 students and aim to provide an engaging learning structure that better prepares students for the prevalence of online and hybrid learning in post-secondary education, and hybrid options in the workforce.
"Hybrid learning in secondary schools aligns with our district vision, Learning by Design, in preparing students for work beyond secondary and for the modernization of learning in our schools," said Assistant Supt. Perry Smith. "It supports the 21st century learning skills that we want our students to enhance and emphasizes the need for equitable access to technology and internet.
"It also stresses the importance of connections and meaningful relationships with teachers and adults both in-person and online in their learning developments."
Students will have the option of enrolling in select hybrid courses or their entirely in-class counterparts, and teachers and students in hybrid courses would work on a rotational schedule, with blocks online and in class.
According to the board report, hybrid learning promotes and fosters creative and critical thinking skills in students, and offers the benefits of:
- flexible and inclusive environments that cater to diverse student needs, social inclusion, engagement and motivation;
- self-paced learning that allows students to learn at their own pace and revisit challenging concepts;
- interactive content that promotes student engagement;
- modern skills development for post-secondary education and the working world;
- enhanced digital literacy for both students and staff;
- and modernized instructional practices to build meaningful connections and collaboration.
The report noted several considerations to implement hybrid learning in schools, including establishing on-site support structures for students, utilizing AI to support and enhance the learning experience, selecting courses appropriate for a hybrid model and ensuring equitable access to technology for all students. Smith noted the district can provide devices and home WiFi to students in need thanks to grants stemming from the pandemic used to provide families with internet access.
"I think there are opportunities for some of our students, some students this works very well for," said Trustee Bob Holmes of hybrid learning. "But that really wasn't the motivation behind it - the motivation is, once again, because we have such capital crunch in this district. We need more schools, we need them as soon as we can get them."
