Experiences of hybrid corporate training programmes at an online academic institution

Abstract

During the past decade, many corporations world-wide have embraced hybrid training programmes to derive benefits of the conventional face-to-face (F2F) learning environment coupled with those of online learning environment for their employees. A majority of researches on hybrid learning focus upon blending of existing F2F programmes of brick 'n' mortar institutions with online component. This paper highlights the experiences of an online academic institution in blending its purely online courses with F2F component in order to better meet the training objectives of its corporate clients. It reports myriad of challenges faced during the creation and implementation of its initial hybrid corporate training programmes and how the lessons learned helped in blending its subsequent programmes for better learner and client satisfaction. It brings out the importance of redesigning/ modifying the blending proportion in future offerings of a programme through continual feedback of its corporate clients as well as the learners. © 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.