3) Education paradigms are shifting to include online learning, hybrid learning and
collaborative models. Budget cuts have forced institutions to re-evaluate their education
strategies and find alternatives to the exclusive face-to-face learning models. Students already
spend much of their free time on the Internet, learning and exchanging new information -- often
via their social networks. Institutions that embrace face-to-face/online hybrid learning models
have the potential to leverage the online skills learners have already developed independent of
academia. We are beginning to see developments in online learning that offer different
affordances than brick-and-mortar schools, including opportunities for increased collaboration
while equipping students with stronger digital skills. Hybrid models, when designed and
implemented successfully, enable students to be at school for some activities, while using the
network for others, taking advantage of the best of both environments.