Common Mistakes Instructors Make in Their First Hybrid Course (and How to Avoid Them) Part 1 of 2

by | Dec 4, 2025 | Blog, Resources

Remember your first day teaching? The nervous energy, the careful lesson planning, maybe a few moments of panic when things didn’t go quite as expected? Now imagine redesigning that experience so that part of your course happens in the classroom and part happens online where both parts need to work together seamlessly. 

As one semester winds down and another approaches, you might be looking at your schedule and seeing something new: a hybrid course. If you’re reading this, you’ve probably either volunteered (brave soul) or been voluntold to teach a hybrid course. Maybe you’re excited about the flexibility it offers students. Maybe you’re wondering what you should do with your face-to-face time now that some of the content is moving online. Or maybe, if you’ve already started, you’re realizing that hybrid teaching isn’t just about splitting your syllabus into “in-class days” and “online days.”

Here’s the good news: you’re not alone, and you’re not doing it wrong. Hybrid teaching requires a genuine shift in how we think about course design and delivery. It’s not just “teaching less often with homework in between.” The faculty who struggle most aren’t the ones who lack teaching skills, they’re often experienced instructors who are trying to apply familiar approaches to an unfamiliar format.

I’ve been working with faculty navigating this transition, and I’ve noticed the same challenges coming up again and again. The even better news? These challenges are predictable, which means they’re also avoidable.

So let’s talk about the most common mistakes instructors make in their first hybrid course. Whether you’re designing your first hybrid course or refining one you’ve already started, these insights will help you create a cohesive learning experience that bridges classroom and online work effectively.

Mistake #1: Trying to Do It All Alone

The Problem: Designing an effective hybrid course requires new skills, and many faculty try to figure it out in isolation. The good news? You don’t have to. There are numerous resources available both on campus and online specifically designed to support faculty through this transition.

How to Avoid It: Partner with instructional designers early. We’re here to help! Join or form a faculty learning community focused on hybrid teaching. Observe colleagues’ hybrid courses. Rely on IT staff for technology decisions rather than trying to become a technology expert. Start small. You don’t have to redesign your entire course at once. Share your challenges with colleagues; you’re definitely not alone in this. Take advantage of online resources, webinars, and professional development opportunities focused on hybrid teaching.

Mistake #2: Replicating Your Face-to-Face Course in Both Spaces

The Problem: Instructors try to do the same things online that they do in class such as long video lectures that replicate their classroom presentations, or vice versa, making in-person sessions feel redundant.

How to Avoid It: Break recorded content into 10-15 minute chunks rather than 2-3 hour sessions that become background noise. Try the flipped classroom approach: students engage with content online, then apply and discuss in class. Ask yourself: “What is this activity suited for?” Lectures work well online (students can pause and rewind), while discussions and hands-on work are great for in person.

Mistake #3: Unclear Communication About Expectations and Structure

The Problem: Disorganization is a common mistake in online teaching, with students struggling to find materials and understand expectations. In hybrid courses, students often don’t know: When do I need to be in class? What should I do online? What if I miss an in-person session? How do the pieces fit together?

How to Avoid It: Create a visual course map showing online and in-person components. Be explicit in your syllabus about what hybrid means for your specific course. Establish a predictable pattern when possible, like “We always meet Tuesdays in person; Thursdays are for online modules.” Include a “How This Course Works” orientation module at the start, and clearly label what’s due when and where.

Mistake #4: Treating Online Work as “Homework Between Classes”

The Problem: Instructors often view the online portion as supplementary rather than an important to the learning experience. Online activities become busy work like readings, quizzes, and discussions posts that don’t connect to what happens in the classroom.

How to Avoid It: Design your course as one integrated experience. Use online time for activities that benefit from individual pacing: exploring resources, reflecting, drafting ideas. Save in-person time for what truly benefits from being together: discussions, problem-solving, collaboration. Use classroom time for activities where you bring real added value and where students benefit from each other’s presence. Create clear connections by starting class with “Last week online you explored A; today we’ll apply it to B.”

Mistake #5: Not Planning for Technology Challenges

The Problem: Students struggle with accessing online materials, navigating Canvas, or dealing with technology failures and instructors don’t have backup plans. 

How to Avoid It: Survey students about technology access in the first week. Limit your tools to 2-3 platforms maximum and create quick tutorials for anything required. Have a tech troubleshooting plan in your syllabus. Provide alternatives like downloadable files and text transcripts.

Wrapping Up Part 1

These first five challenges are some of the most common stumbling blocks for new hybrid instructors, but they’re all manageable with some intentional planning and support. Don’t try to force-fit your traditional course into a hybrid format. Instead, rethink what each space (online and in-person) does best.

In Part 2, we’ll explore five more challenges, including how to avoid over-assigning work, create meaningful integration between modalities, and build community in a hybrid environment. In the meantime, if any of these challenges sound familiar, reach out to your instructional design team. We love helping faculty navigate these transitions.

Coming next: Part 2 covers workload balance, integration strategies, active learning online, community building, and pacing. Stay tuned!

Resources:

  • Gudoniene, D., Staneviciene, E., Huet, I., Dickel, J., Dieng, D., Degroote, J., Rocio, V., Butkiene, R., & Casanova, D. (2025). Hybrid teaching and learning in higher education: A systematic literature review. Sustainability, 17(2), 756. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17020756
  • Liu, X. Y., Lu, C., Zhu, H., Wang, X., Jia, S., Zhang, Y., Yang, Y., Wang, H. X., Ma, T. C., Wen, Y. F., & Jia, R. S. (2024). Hybrid teaching after COVID-19: Advantages, challenges and optimization strategies. BMC Medical Education, 24, Article 745. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05745-z