Exploring Student and Teacher Experiences in Hybrid Learning Environments: Does Presence Matter?

The global pandemic forced us to rethink education to fight Covid-19 and apply social distancing during lectures. Luckily, we could rely on earlier research into distance education in general, and more specifically, into synchronous hybrid learning. During synchronous hybrid learning both on-site and remote students are connected and taught synchronously in what we call at our university the 'hybrid classroom' or 'hybrid lecture hall'. In order to further substantiate this potential new normal, research is needed to investigate the influencing factors of engagement and learning in these new environments from a student and teacher perspective. In this study, two different hybrid learning designs and practices are explored and analysed through the lens of the activity-centred analysis and design (ACAD) framework. Next to this more qualitative approach, this study also presents quantitative results on the effect of the level of presence (on-site versus remote, with or without interaction) on conceptual and affective outcomes. In terms of the student perspective, this study did not find any significant differences between physical and remote presence regarding conceptual understanding, yet significant differences were found in regard of affective engagement in favour of the on-site students and remote students having the opportunity to interact. In line with the ACAD framework, our research found that successful learning and teaching activities are interrelated with set, epistemic, and social design decisions.