Amity Global Institute wins SBR International Business Award for education

Amity’s Cohesive Hybrid Learning Model incorporates both face-to-face and online teaching into one holistic teaching and learning process.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic started, Amity had worked on an innovative pedagogical approach utilising the flipped classroom as the backbone of their learning. This approach effectively changes the pre-lesson stage, during lesson stage and post-lesson stage, and merges both face-to-face and online teaching into one holistic teaching and learning process.

Also known as the “Cohesive Hybrid Learning Model”, this critically-successful project solved the concerns between students’ preferences for face-to-face vs online teaching methods. It employs the flexible teaching and learning approach brought forth by the Cohesive Hybrid Learning Model which mounted both online and in-person lessons.

Amity was able to reap the following key achievements:

(a) Accessibility to a more diverse range of learners
(b) Optimization of Education Technology in a non-intimidating fashion
(c) Cultivating a student-centred community both online and offline

Fundamentally, students are distinguished as their key stakeholders. Alternative lesson delivery methods are always prepared as a contingency in case of disruption, and clear and constant communication is vital to preserve trust. The model is supported by a robust technology-centred infrastructure that effectively implements flexible learning arrangements with the appropriate scientific tools and infrastructure.

Amity has invested in good virtual communication tools like Microsoft Teams (which is commonly included in any Office 365 subscription), cloud-based Student Management Systems, and a variety of Learning Management Systems - including NILE, Canvas and Edmodo Virtual Learning Environments. Dynamic capture of live lectures for online sharing via the Swivl Robotic Platform helps ensure perfect documentation, facilitates lesson review and is a good quality assurance tool.

To support the process, Amity upskilled its academics with advanced pedagogical training through the University of New South Wales and the University of Illinois. This helped the teachers understand and appreciate:

• Open and Institutionally Supported Technologies
• Planning Online Learning
• Online Learning Activities
• Online Assessment Strategies
• Online Resources
• Engaging and Motivating Students
• Evaluation Strategies

Moreover, key appointment holders among the academic team also were trained on E-learning ecology, Ubiquitous Learning, Active Knowledge Making, Multimodal Meaning, Recursive Feedback, Collaborative Intelligence, Metacognition and Differentiated Learning.

The "Cohesive Hybrid Learning Model" has greatly benefitted Amity’s student learning outcomes, as can be seen from a particularly challenging UOL MBA module named "Strategic Project". Prior to implementation, this module's top score had been 58%. Post implementation, student outcomes were significantly superior, with almost a quarter scoring distinction grade. The median score climbed to 66% and the top score was 80%. The numbers become even more consequential given that the cohort size had proliferated to six times that of the previous intake.

Though Hybrid Learning is a prefatory concept, Amity has successfully put into practice a system that engenders superior results despite the disruptive COVID-19 milieu. Through Amity’s efforts, learners who are physically or geographically isolated continue to be robustly engaged with bountiful learning resources. Exceptional facilitation of collaborative learning allows learners to transition from mere surface acquisition of knowledge to satisfyingly deep learning.