EdCrunch Reload: Merging Minds and Technology — a leading international conference on education and new technologies — took place on 23–24 November 2022 in Kazakhstan.

Alexander Bayzarov, Head of Hybrid Learning and Teaching Methodology Projects of the GSOM SPbU Project Office and Alexandra Dmitrieva, Head of Methodology Division of the Teaching Excellence Lab of GSOM SPbU took part in two sessions of the conference and shared the Business School's practices in hybrid learning and up-to-date teaching methods.

Session "HyFlex: Student-Directed Hybrids to Support Flexible Learning Needs" was dedicated to the methods and strategy of implementation of the HyFlex hybrid flexible educational format. In HyFlex students can choose their own learning track within the hybrid format. This approach promotes student agency and helps create student-oriented learning experience.

GSOM SPbU has been introducing hybrid learning since 2020. The format allows to teach both online- and offline-students simultaneously using a specially equipped hybrid classroom.

"We see that hybrid learning continues to be developed and interpreted in the context of higher education gradually transforming into a new fully-functional learning format at universities around the world. Development of new teaching methods and integration of new formats into the general strategy of a university come to the fore. Having invested in the development of infrastructure for hybrid learning in good time, today GSOM SPbU is focused on system integration of new digital tools into the learning process through the lens of instructional design and learning experience of students." — Alexander Bayzarov, Head of Hybrid Learning and Teaching Methodology Projects of the GSOM SPbU Project Office, Project Management Director at VTB.

During the session "Next Level Design: Developing Programs for Hybrid Campus Strategy" the speakers discussed that hybrid learning remains relevant after the pandemic. In fact, it has transformed into a full-fledged format with its own methodology and instructional design. Adoption of such a format requires not only investments in infrastructure but also another approach to the design of educational programs. 

GSOM SPbU thoroughly elaborates the methods to be applied in the learning process of the business school's programs and searches for new tools. Thanks to this approach, unique learning experiences are created and students achieve better learning results.

«Successful introduction of a new technological solution depends on whether its end users — faculty and students — believe in it. It is not enough to just purchase the equipment and let the lecturers into hybrid classrooms. It is important that they understand how to work in this kind of classroom and how to prepare lessons for this format. As for the students, it is important that they understand how to study in this format. This is what the Center is working on now. We instruct our faculty and students on how to apply new digital solutions and help the faculty to reconsider the way they prepare and conduct lessons in a digital environment." — shared Alexandra Dmitrieva, Head of Methodology Division of the Teaching Excellence Lab of GSOM SPbU.






GSOM SPbU develops and implements methods of teaching in a digital environment. You can find out more about the Business School's practices and join the expert community of lecturers at Russian and corporate universities on the website https://method.gsom.spbu.ru.