Due to the recent pandemic, schools all over the world are beginning to transition from physical classes to digital classes. This change is primarily a result of the safety protocols everyone is to follow due to the virus. Business schools are assimilating to this change as well. Lately, many professionals have even started to favour blended physical and digital MBA classes more. 

With these forms of lecture delivery, some classes during the semester would be taken on digital platforms. Students would take the rest of the classes in small numbers to ensure social distancing. But, many people agree that this new way of learning has more advantages than disadvantages and a lot of schools are planning to stick to it post-pandemic.

Table of Content

• Reasons for the Blended Physical and Digital Courses
• Why Blended Classes Are Becoming Popular
• Engagement
• Affordable
• Efficiency
• Flexible
• Improving and Building Skills
• What Should the Students Expect?
• Getting an Internet Connection is Essential
• Networking
• Building Long Term Skills
• Research Skills
• Self-Motivation
• Teamwork
• Conclusion

Reasons for the Blended Physical and Digital Classes

In recent times, on-campus classes aren’t enough due to the need to avoid large numbers of people gathering. But it would be detrimental to cancel a whole semester due to this inconvenience. Thus, many schools of all levels began to adapt to this by using digital platforms to continue educating their students.

Some levels of education were able to depend on only online classes. MBA students on the other hand due to the intricacy of some topics developed the blended physical and online classes to continue thriving.

The reason for its popularity is fundamental because the transition has allowed a lot of workers to get their MBA degrees alongside working. The traditional on-campus classes often meant that students who were workers would have to take a break from work, forfeiting their salary for up to a year or two depending on the program they plan to study.

However, after COVID-19 emerged, schools were expected to take safety protocols seriously to ensure the safety of their students and staff. Thus, these workers have been spared from the demand for their compulsory presence on campus or in classes. This decision is especially vital to them since most workplaces of enrolled students still demand their physical presence despite the pandemic. 

MBA schools then introduced the solution of blended physical and digital classes where some classes would be online. With physical classes, students would then get the chance to interact with the teacher, and in small numbers too. 

Since the number of students in each physical class has been reduced drastically, students can ask questions more freely in class. Although this digital MBA method was adopted in schools prior to recent development, it has become a preferred method of teaching and learning lately.

Why Blended Classes Are Becoming Popular

 Virtual MBA lectures are becoming popular, especially amongst professionals who are often busy but looking to study a UK MBA in Dubai. Before blindly following a process or trend, participants must know if it would have more advantages than disadvantages. 

If it isn’t working, then there would be a need to restructure. Thus, the reason for blended physical and digital MBA classes. The UK MBA especially has a lot of topics that require the attention of lecturers. Blending physical and digital MBA classes have several benefits to students especially. They include:

1. Engagement

There are different types of learners. Some are very comfortable asking questions in class and are quite outspoken. There are others who are anxious to speak up in class and would rather sit through the lesson confused. The blended physical and virtual MBA classes cater for all these. 

Due to the smaller number of people in each class, everyone would be comfortable asking questions. Also, interaction isn’t limited to the classroom alone. There are other mediums like chat rooms, email, discussion boards amongst others where students can get access to both their lecturer and peers.

2. Affordable

One popular perk of the blended physical and digital classes is the cut in cost. The traditional MBA classes are pretty expensive, even more, if you’re looking to study the UK MBA. In addition, you would sometimes have to pay for accommodation and upkeep. 

But, with the blended classes, since some or most of the classes would be virtual, tuition fees are reduced while accommodation fees are sometimes nonexistent. 

Although students travelling to do their MBA in Dubai would not necessarily be spared from some of these expenses. One thing foreign students would enjoy along with local students is the decrease in tuition fees. 

Other minor expenses like buying textbooks, notebooks and other stationery are also eliminated. Assignments, tests and exams would normally be taken online, sparing the school the cost of printing out test and exam papers.

3. Efficiency

Since retention is also distinct for every learner, students can now do what works for them because they have the materials needed to learn themselves. When they come across topics they can’t understand themselves, then the physical classes come in. 

Also, discussion boards and chat rooms enable students with anxiety to ask questions about the safety of their computers. There would be no need for a one-on-one interaction if necessary.

4. Flexible

For traditional classes, scheduled classes were compulsory to attend. But for most blended classes, sometimes the lecture is uploaded unto the students’ dashboard or there are allocated meetings with lecturers. You can always save the videos and rewatch them later to remind you of what the lecture was about. 

Students also get the opportunity to pace the learning to their preference. Students can now learn when they feel they have the emotional and psychological capacity to during the week or even the entire semester. 

Also, workers have the opportunity to work alongside studies. You wouldn’t have to worry about your lectures taking place during working hours anymore.

5. Improving and Building Skills

Due to the increasing use of the internet, especially for virtual MBA classes, students would begin to adopt technological skills that would have long term benefits. They would also begin to find more information than they would if relying solely on on-campus classes and better ways to research more efficiently.

From online discussions and interactions, many students would also learn many tips that can help them study or research effectively. They can also come across a variety of resources on the internet.

What Should the Students  Expect?

Students doing their MBA in Dubai are not exactly strangers to the digital mode of studying. The UK MBA, for example, has been one which adopted blended physical and digital classes pretty early. 

However since the transition became more pronounced after the pandemic, there are few new developments some may not be entirely familiar with.

For foreign students who have plans of doing an MBA in Dubai, there are some things to expect.

Getting an Internet Connection is Essential

Since a significant part of the MBA is going to be digital, students must try their best to get an internet connection at all times. You would also need to invest in technological devices like a good laptop for your virtual MBA classes. Thus, you can learn whenever you want, anywhere. 

Networking

Some people think since one-on-one interactions would be less, students would not get the opportunity to meet new people and get new connections and networks. But, with the blended classes, students can make up for that during the physical classes and still get to meet other classmates through online discussions and group chats.

Building Long Term Skills

Most of the skills you would adopt especially from virtual MBA classes would continue to stay even through your career. Some of these skills include: 

1. Research Skills

Because students have the internet at their disposal to learn, they get the chance to do in-depth research about topics they learn in class. These skills are a requirement in many workplaces and throughout the careers of most individuals. 

2. Self-motivation

Learning to motivate yourself is essential in blended physical and digital MBA classes. Since classes are not compulsory anymore, students must learn to motivate themselves to learn on their own. 

They must learn to do this to keep up with the semester’s schedule. It is one thing students who procrastinate a lot would have a hard time with. But once the student is able to go through the entire MBA learning to motivate themselves, they can easily transmit it into their work environments.

3. Team Work

There would be discussion boards and chat rooms as well as occasional group works. Thus, students then begin to work together on assignments and other projects. Through these, many develop leadership skills as well as cooperative behaviours. Students learn to work well with each other which can also be displayed at workplaces with colleagues.

Conclusion

For a lot of professionals looking to study an MBA in Dubai, the blended classes can prove to be very beneficial. The digital part of it would allow students to self-pace their studies, allowing them to adopt self-discipline and self-motivation to keep up. They can also acquire other skills like in-depth research and working better with colleagues.

Due to the flexible nature of the digital MBA classes, it has found favour with a lot of workers. For a UK MBA in Dubai, you would not have to worry about joining classes on-campus like the traditional MBA. Being a virtual MBA student alongside some physical classes would enable you to still work part-time if you want. Students who live in the UAE have the benefit to keep working while schooling. Feel free to connect with us !