The global pandemic changed the way universities teach. Higher education institutions across the globe adopted various forms of online, hybrid and blended teaching to overcome periods of lock-down. In doing so, universities inadvertently moved into a state of (accelerated) digital transformation. Hybrid-e’s chief objective was to support universities navigating through this transformative phase and embrace more permanent forms of hybrid teaching models (i.e., a mix of on campus teaching and use of digital technology for online, hybrid and blended components). HYBRID-E focused primarily on supporting teaching staff and professional support staff with the development of necessary skills and awareness of the responsible use of digital technology and data for improved teaching and learning. Ultimately, Hybrid-e helped universities enhance the quality of education by providing guidance on deploying digital technology effectively, based on a clear educational vision.
At the time of application, Hybrid-e believed that due to the global pandemic higher education entered a transition phase to embrace more permanent forms of hybrid teaching models and deploying online learning technologies. The crisis provided universities across the globe with an unprecedented opportunity to innovate teaching by effectively adopting online, hybrid and blended teaching formats. The question was whether universities had been successful in transferring into this transformative phase and shaping education in a more proactive and sustainable way? At the time, there was little evidence available that institutions were successfully managing to reap the benefits and switch to a more sustainable approach in responsibly steering their communities into the era of digital transformation. In 2022, the first analysis of experiences of teaching staff and students with online learning became available and provided an invaluable resource for reflection and gaining insights into the needs of students in this transformed learning environment. This context provided universities with an opportunity to learn from one another and share resources in the transition to sustainable forms of hybrid teaching and learning.