Technology-driven Hybrid Teaching Methodologies: A Lean Analysis of Student Learning and Job Seeking Courses

Software Development Times’ industry predictions call 2022 the year of Hybrid Work. If workplaces have pivoted to hybrid work, so have college and university students in their learning environment and job-seeking efforts. For students to transition to a hybrid work environment, they must seamlessly and effectively use technology tools to transition between remote and in-person domains. Studies show that students’ technological skill level may be insufficient to match the level required to navigate the streamlined methods used in revamped hybrid education/job-seeking systems (video interviewing, location, or productivity tracking). Even when technological systems provide access, they can sacrifice “equity and inclusion” requirements that protect against student vulnerabilities and hinder student success. Performance in this pandemic-restricted world may also impact how student school-to-work transition is achieved. Using a brief year-end student survey using Lean analysis this uncovered “waste” within the Pre-practicum (Problems of Practice) and Practicum courses focused on workplace skills and job-seeking processes. The resulting implementation plans 1) provide a roadmap to reduce waste, 2) increase alignment that supports equity and inclusion, and 3) integrate customer-focused on-demand elements such as career coaching, known to increase student success.