ABOUT
Project
With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, academics across the spectrum have been forced to alter their teaching as classes had to be shifted continuously between the digital and the physical classroom. With this, hybrid education has gained momentum, an approach that combines face-to-face and online learning.
The Playful Hybrid Higher Education project explores faculty and student experiences in the hybrid classroom to develop guidance for educators on the new education model, with a focus on playful and creative pedagogy. The research question addressed is: How can faculty best best implement play and creativity in the hybrid higher education classroom to foster community and collective student success?
Best practice guidance on playful hybrid teaching is urgently needed as pedagogy and curriculum development are key areas for higher education institutions in which to support and develop staff competency to aid student success.
To develop appropriate guidance, interviews with Canadian faculty currently leading hybrid courses and with students attending these courses are conducted. In addition, a survey exploring attitudes towards hybrid teaching and learning was conducted.
Project outcomes are shared on this website on an ongoing basis, with the final report being available in August 2024.
Project Team
Principal Investigator
Sandra Abegglen, Researcher
School of Architecture, Planning & Landscape
University of Calgary
Project Support
Fabian Neuhaus, Associate Professor
School of Architecture, Planning & Landscape
University of Calgary
Graduate Assistant Researcher
Lucia Velasquez Bustos, MArch
School of Architecture, Planning & Landscape
University of Calgary
Former Graduate Assistant Researchers
Samara Schneider, MArch, SAPL, UofC
Grant
Imagination Lab Foundation
Affiliation
School of Architecture, Planning & Landscape
University of Calgary
Collaborators
TALON, Teaching and Learning Online Network



Situated in Calgary, we acknowledge and pay tribute to the traditional territories of the peoples of Treaty 7, which include the Blackfoot Confederacy (comprised of the Siksika, the Piikani, and the Kainai First Nations), the Tsuut’ina First Nation, and the Stoney Nakoda (including Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Goodstoney First Nations). The City of Calgary is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta Region 3.