With a smile on his face, Gilbert Uribe (pictured below), education program assistant at Oregon State University’s North Willamette Research and Extension Center, observed his classroom. More than a dozen Latino nursery workers were confidently navigating their way through an online practice test for a pesticide applicator’s license.
Uribe transformed a Private Pesticide Applicator Exam Prep Course using hybrid learning techniques with the help of collaborators Dr. Luisa Santamaria, assistant professor and Extension plant pathology specialist, and the Oregon Department of Agriculture. Uribe designed the class after taking advantage of an eight-week workshop offered by OSU Extension & Experiment Station Communications in cooperation with the OSU Center for Teaching & Learning’s Hybrid Teaching Initiative.
Uribe knew that a hybrid learning course—especially one taught in Spanish—held potential for capturing the attention of this hard-to-reach audience.
Students can view online lectures at their convenience on their computers or mobile devices—and review them as many times as they want. Valuable class time is reserved for hands-on activities, discussion and field work.
More than two dozen Extension faculty are trained in the design and delivery of hybrid outreach educational programs.
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