What is hybrid learning?

How to manage hybrid learning while keeping your small school secure

Learning is changing

The future of education includes more people working and learning from home. This flexibility can increase access, drive continuity of learning, and reduce costs. It’s easier to engage students and maintain continuity of learning than ever before - especially when the campus or classroom has to close down.

of primary students today will work in a job that doesn’t exist yet1

of US college students said digital learning improved their grades2

of schools plan to or have purchased new devices for distance learning3

increase in collaboration app use in schools4

Security needs to be a priority when you enable distance and hybrid learning

According to Absolute, 46% of schools have reported at least one device using non-authorized VPN in 2020.⁴At some institutions, what has composed security in the past is a cobbled together array of solutions that don’t offer complete protection.

If you’re supporting remote teachers and students, you now have multiple sites of potential attack instead of one centralized school or campus. The tools your users communicate and learn with need to be secure, but also need to be reliable, seamless, and simple to use for your students, teachers, and administrators. Invisible security is the expectation today.

Schools are evolving

Schools recognize the need to prepare students for a digital future. With students facing careers that are not yet invented, this becomes all the more critical.¹ Combining this evolution toward digital learning tools with the rapid transition to distance learning in 2020, schools are now supporting an unprecedented number of remote users and devices.

Smart strategies for small schools

Hybrid learning used to be considered difficult to deploy or highly advanced, but today the technology to collaborate, teach, and learn from anywhere is mature and it works. The key is to find solutions that work together well so your educators can focus on teaching, administrators can stay productive, and students can continue learning - no matter where they are.

The future of education is driven by collaboration

We help you create a hybrid learning environment that is both flexible and secure, so your students, teachers, and staff can teach, learn, and collaborate—no matter where they are. Provide consistent learning experiences, to drive student-to-teacher, eacher-to-teacher, and student-to-student interaction. Many solutions aren’t designed with security in mind. That’s why Cisco Webex® collaboration tools are designed with end-to-end security.

Built for distance and hybrid learning

Webex enables students, teachers, and administrators to teach, collaborate, message, whiteboard, and call from
anywhere. Automatic integrations and compatibility with PC, Mac, iOS, Android, and education and learning management systems open doors to new ways of learning. The Webex Control Hub allows for centralized managment, both inside and outside the classroom.

Solutions that scale

Cloud-based products are especially useful because they simplify installation and management without the need for a large IT staff. You can securely connect remote teachers, students, faculty, and devices with Cisco Meraki® and Meraki Go™ to create a fast, safe, and reliable network that you can manage using a cloud-based app. Teach and learn securely from any device, at any time, from any location with Cisco’s portfolio of solutions for small schools and colleges.

Secure Access by Duo

Protect sensitive data by verifying the identity of users, devices, and applications with secure two-factor authentication.

Cisco AnyConnect®

Secure Mobility Client secures endpoint access so students and teachers can teach and learn on any device, anytime, anywhere.

Cisco Umbrella™

The first line of defense against threats to protect users everywhere with flexible, fast, and effective cloud-delivered security.

Cisco Secure Endpoint

Detects and blocks malware and viruses across student, teacher, and administrator devices.

Start building your hybrid learning environment today

Cisco has decades of experience supporting education. We can help secure, simplify, and enhance your technology and collaboration today to prepare for education tomorrow. Let’s work together to reimagine your IT systems to empower students to connect anywhere and anytime, enhance security, and enable hybrid and distance learning.

Let us help you get started today so you can focus on what matters most—educating the next generation.

1. “4 ways COVID-19 could change how we educate future generations”, World Economic Forum, March 30, 2020.
2. “27 Astonishing E-learning Statistics for 2020”, TechJury, 2020
3. “What Is Distance Learning’s Impact on Educational IT?”, EdTech, October 27, 2020.
4. “Distance Learning’s Impact on Education IT”, Absolute, 2021