Hybrid accelerated programs are reshaping graduate health care education. These models offer students greater flexibility, expand access for nontraditional learners and reduce time to degree, benefits that make them increasingly appealing to both students and institutions.
They also align with the learning preferences of today’s students, especially Gen Z, who value technology integration, active learning experiences and the ability to learn anytime, anywhere.
The combination of asynchronous content, immersive in-person labs and real-time virtual sessions offers a dynamic and responsive educational experience.
However, for faculty, the transition to teaching in a hybrid accelerated format often comes with new, and sometimes unexpected, challenges. Many educators are stepping into this space from traditional academic settings, where the pace, structure and delivery methods differ significantly.
To ensure faculty thrive in these innovative models, institutions must offer intentional support, clear expectations and the tools needed for success.
Below, we explore some of the most common challenges and strategies to overcome them.
Challenge 1: Teaching in an Accelerated Format
Accelerated programs compress material that would typically be taught over a longer term into a shorter, more intensive timeline. Faculty must balance academic rigor with realistic expectations of what students can absorb in a shorter time.
How to overcome it:
Help faculty adjust course design to fit the accelerated model. Encourage the use of backward design, where instructors identify core learning outcomes first, then build content and assessments to achieve competency.
Provide instructional design support to break complex topics into focused, digestible modules. Frequent formative assessments can also help instructors gauge student progress and adjust quickly to ensure meaningful learning.
Challenge 2: Adapting to Hybrid Delivery
Hybrid formats combine online coursework with periodic in-person sessions. This requires faculty to reimagine their teaching strategies and rethink how students engage with material both asynchronously and in live online and face-to-face settings.
How to overcome it:
Offer hands-on and ongoing training and mentoring for hybrid teaching. Faculty benefit from examples of effective hybrid course models and access to colleagues who've done it well.
Support should include leveraging the learning management system (LMS) to engage faculty in best practices for online learning and decrease student cognitive load.
Provide guidance on maintaining engagement in online discussions and help to design interactive in-person sessions that build on online learning.
Challenge 3: Managing Increased Student Interaction
Accelerated hybrid models often foster more frequent and intensive faculty-student interaction. Students may expect fast turnaround times, ongoing access and detailed feedback to keep pace with the curriculum.
How to overcome it:
Set clear communication expectations with students from the start. Encourage faculty to use templates and rubrics to streamline ease of providing actionable feedback.
Course designers can also help build automation and AI strategies into grading and communication where appropriate. Institutions should monitor teaching loads to ensure they're manageable in high-touch programs.
Challenge 4: Keeping Online Content Engaging
In these programs, much of the learning happens online and asynchronously. That puts pressure on content design. Readings, lectures and discussions must capture attention and drive learning without live facilitation.
This shift places greater pressure on content design, but it also unlocks opportunities for innovation, creativity, and deeper learner autonomy.
How to overcome it:
Invest in instructional design and media production support. Faculty shouldn't be expected to record polished videos or create interactive activities on their own.
A centralized team can help them produce high-quality materials, integrate multimedia and ensure accessibility. Short video segments, real-world case studies and opportunities for self-assessment all support engagement.
Challenge 5: Navigating Technology Tools
Teaching in a hybrid accelerated model often requires faculty to engage with a wide range of digital tools, LMS, video conferencing platforms, virtual simulations, online assessments and more.
For faculty who are newer to these technologies, the learning curve can feel overwhelming.
How to overcome it:
Provide just-in-time training and ongoing tech support. Avoid overwhelming faculty with tool options. Instead, offer a streamlined, vetted toolkit that integrates well with existing systems.
Peer-led workshops, "tech tips" newsletters and one-on-one coaching can ease the transition.
Challenge 6: Building Community with Students
In hybrid accelerated programs, students spend less time together in physical classroom, which can make it harder for faculty to build rapport and foster a strong sense of community.
Without intentional efforts, students may feel isolated or disconnected, which can impact both their engagement and their likelihood of persisting in the program.
How to overcome it:
Encourage faculty to build intentional community moments into their courses. This could include icebreaker activities during synch sessions, virtual asynchronous or synchronous group projects or even hosting social hours during on-site immersions.
Institutions can also create centralized cohort-wide events and spaces, such as Slack groups or orientation meetups, to strengthen connections outside the classroom.
Challenge 7: Feeling Isolated in Their Teaching
Just as students can experience disconnection in hybrid programs, faculty are not immune to isolation, especially when teaching remotely or delivering asynchronous content without frequent contact with colleagues.
Over time, this can impact morale, creativity and a sense of professional fulfillment.
How to overcome it:
Create a strong faculty development ecosystem. Teaching doesn't have to be a solo endeavor. Faculty thrive when they feel part of a supportive, collaborative academic community, even across distance.
Regular touchpoints, cross-course collaboration and teaching circles help instructors share challenges and successes. Consider supporting a faculty book club that explores teaching, leadership or other education-based topics to foster deeper dialog and collegiality.
Recognition programs can highlight innovative teaching, while mentorship programs support newer faculty adjusting to the model.
Challenge 8: Balancing Scholarship, Service and Teaching
Accelerated programs may demand more time for course prep and student support. While this investment directly benefits learners, it can come at a cost, leaving less time for research, service and scholarship, all of which are critical for professional growth and advancement.
How to overcome it:
Leaders must recognize and reward the additional labor involved in hybrid accelerated teaching. Consider rebalancing workloads or offering teaching credits.
Support structures that reduce prep time, like shared curriculum assets or course shells, can also free up capacity for research and service.
When institutions proactively support faculty in balancing their roles, they not only promote retention, they empower faculty to grow as educators, scholars and leaders.
Empowered Faculty Drive Program Success
Faculty are essential to the quality and growth of hybrid accelerated programs. Their expertise, creativity and connection to students shape the learner experience in profound ways.
By proactively addressing common challenges, from course design and student engagement to workload and community building, institutions can create the conditions for faculty to thrive.
When faculty feel supported, they’re better equipped to innovate, mentor and foster meaningful learning across modalities.
Achieving this requires more than isolated training, it calls for a culture of ongoing faculty development. Investing in continuous learning, peer support and collaborative growth not only strengthens teaching practices but reinforces the long-term success of hybrid accelerated programs.
When faculty are empowered, programs flourish and students succeed.