Fostering Community and Collaboration: A Reflection on Collaborative Pedagogy in Hybrid Postgraduate Courses

Abstract

The interconnectedness of online and in-person students is a vital component of many universities’ educational strategies and is comprised of ever evolving technology and application which can prove difficult to balance (Weidlich & Bastiaens, 2018). The purpose of this reflective essay is to challenge graduate teaching assistants and instructors to incorporate more collaborative teaching practices in their hybrid classrooms. Specifically, this reflection will express the positive experiences of one graduate teaching assistant, with a background in primary education, on a hybrid/fusion postgraduate course. It is the goal of this reflection to inform readers about collaborative pedagogy practices and how to use them in higher education. This piece will inform readers on specific methods that were utilized to foster community and collaboration in a hybrid postgraduate course. By expressing the benefits and experiences of collaborative pedagogy for instructors and students, this article hopes to inspire fellow educators to use a collaborative approach to instruct postgraduate students especially in hybrid or fusion classrooms.