The Emergence of the "Hybrid College Model." ASU Local and the Scalable College of the Future.
This is part one of a weekly "Higher Education Highlight Series" intended to explore the programs, practices, and universities that are redesigning our nation's higher education system.
The Problem: The Demand for Higher Education Can't Be Met
In California alone, there are tens of thousands of students who are eligible for admission to a public university but are unable to attend because of capacity constraints. A 2017 article by Gao & Johnson indicated that over 69,000 qualified California students were turned away from the California State University (CSU) system from 2013-2017 and thousands more were turned away from the University of California (UC) system.
In addition to domestic demand, the global demand for higher education will increase from a current enrollment of ~215 million students to ~500 million by 2040. This incredible increase in the demand for higher education would require the creation of hundreds, or even thousands, of new mega-universities in order to meet the demand through in-person education. Notably, the capital-intensive nature of these campuses would be a significant barrier to many of the communities that need these institutions the most.
A Partial Solution: Online Higher Education
Thus, to meet the drastic higher education demand increases, digital environments must be constructed to scale learning.
Today, millions of students take a portion, or all, of their courses through digitally immersive environments. This innovation has provided college access for millions of working adults, rural learners, and other students who might not have succeeded within a traditional classroom environment.
Yet, this innovation has its limitations. Online learning can be a somewhat isolating experience. Although virtual classrooms and discussion boards have attempted to create a communal environment, they often fall short of in-person experiences. Furthermore, the "at-your-own-pace" style of most online courses can leave many students feeling like they are on their own.
Moreover, the social capital component of collegiate education -- where individuals build networks of colleagues -- has been almost non-existent in the online environment. Gaining the endorsement of other successful peers and connecting with individuals with similar interests is an invaluable component of higher learning that can be difficult to cultivate in entirely online environments.
Lastly, online learning has struggled to provide the same support services as in-person education and has had mixed results for individuals with limited self-discipline. Although some institutions have implemented success coaches and online tutors, the lack of structure can be a significant challenge for many learners.
A Better Solution: The Hybrid College Model!
Hybrid Colleges provide online educational programs with in-person student services. They allow students to work in a collaborative environment and enable support systems to emerge amongst colleagues.
Hybrid Colleges, or Hybrid Campuses, can vary in the amount of resources they provide. They can be as simple as providing an in-person meeting space for online students, and as complex as a rigorously structured program with built-in internships and collaborative assignments. Regardless, the model helps alleviate some of the limitations presented by fully digital educations.
I present ASU Local as one of the most promising examples of this emerging market.
How does ASU Local Work?
Launched in fall 2019 with one location in Central Los Angeles, ASU Local is the first hybrid college model from Arizona State University. Students enroll in one of a subset of ASU Online majors. They then collaboratively prepare personalized college and career plans with their own ASU Local Coach. Students then get to learn from one of the top online schools in the country, solve real-world problems with other students, and receive access to numerous career opportunities.
The model was designed for low-income and/or working college students. The students meet at the ASU Local campus twice per week (with a third optional day to meet individually with their ASU Local coach). They attend workshops and events at the ASU Local campus and bring in dozens of employers and professors each semester to explore career and collegiate opportunities. This model truly cherishes the complex lifestyle of the twenty-first working learner.
Check out the video below to learn a bit more!
What Problems does this Solve?
Social Capital & Isolation - Students are paired with an ASU Local Coach and go through the experience as a cohort. They work collaboratively with other students and build social capital along the way. Although they might take their courses individually, they all go through the experience together.
Support Services - The ASU Local Coach (intended to be 1 for every 35 students) ensures that these students are never behind. They create individualized plans with the students and connect them with appropriate resources as needed. These coaches even help the students retain their classroom information and can work through specific challenges they're facing in their courses.
Structure - ASU Local ensures that students have deadlines for assignments, regular meetings with colleagues and mentors, and a generally consistent schedule that may not have been included within a traditional distance learning program. Students who might have struggled with self-discipline have numerous individuals holding them accountable and ensuring they stay on track.
In addition to the clear solutions that this model presents, it is also a much more scalable solution to the growing demand for college-educated individuals. The hybrid college model that ASU Local presents could operate in co-working spaces or shared community spaces at a fraction of the cost of traditional universities. As demand grows globally, micro-campuses can be launched in virtually any part of the world with reliable internet.
Achieving scale with this model is not only possible, but is practical and will produce similar outcomes while saving hundreds of billions of dollars in capital-intensive projects.
Limitations
Notably, this model still comes with limitations. One of the major benefits of online education is its ability to be pursued from any location and on one's own time. Hybrid Colleges with structured programs like ASU Local diminish the benefits of the distance learning component. This model also might not be conducive for learners with variable work schedules, as much of the in-person support is designed around a somewhat inflexible structure.
Conclusion
The Hybrid College Model, as highlighted by ASU Local, is an emerging and scalable solution to the global demand for higher education and a replicable model to improve quasi-distance learning outcomes. While it does have some limitations, the benefits far outweigh any risks.
If you are interested in learning more about this program, feel free to reach out. I work with colleagues at ASU who are attempting to scale this program both internally and at additional universities. I would love to connect you or just discuss this incredible new model further!
If you feel inspired to contribute to this emerging model, please follow the steps below.
Follow the Link: Giving.ASU.edu
Choose Write In Under Supporting
Write in fund name: ASU Local Scholarship
Next Post: Stackable Credentials: How BYU Pathways lets you stack your learning and get the job you want!
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About the Author:
Lukas Wenrick spends his days working to develop innovative solutions to the most complex issues universities face. He does so to ensure that the most marginalized students may pursue an alternative trajectory than the one laid out by their zip code. He believes that universities and other educational enterprises have the duty to expand educational opportunity to as many individuals as possible and that excellence should be judged by the students that an institution includes, rather than those that it excludes.​
Lukas holds a Master's of Education in Higher Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science Education from Wright State University. His experiences at both an open-access public university and an elite private institution inform the work he does every day. Currently, Lukas serves as a Program Manager within the Office of Applied Innovation at Arizona State University where he works to leverage the ASU enterprise to resolve educational and social inequities in the world.
If you would like to know more about Lukas you can find him on the following sites:
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