HOP articles, stories and insights

The impact of hybrid forms of learning in Youth Work

Two years of transformation on the HOP platform

Author: Antonela Kotsoni
Illustrations: Freepik
Licence to (re)use the text of the article: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0
Publication date: January 2026

 

The digital transformation of education, accelerated by global disruptions, has outlined hybrid learning as a cornerstone of modern educational approaches. In other words, hybrid learning sits right at the heart of how we teach these days. In summer 2025 I asked users, learners and beneficiaries of the HOP platform about their journey with it, as learners, course creators, educators and youth workers. 

My story with HOP platform started quite early, during the Covid pandemic of 2020, when people were anchored onto online content for their learning, entertainment, information, even human connection. 5 years later, I wanted to gather and analyse the feedback and learnings from participants who have engaged with the online and blended learning, through HOP.

This article, written in November 2025, aims to put together some insights into global trends of digital and hybrid learnings, while examining into under the prism of youth work. The evolution of online learning models reflects on the HOP platform in European youth work and explores some ideas on how to future-proof non-formal education.

 

Chapter 1: What is online and what is hybrid learning?

Digital learning is defined by the integration of information and communication technologies into educational practices. It stands as a core piece of education today and it has dramatically changed the delivery mode and experience of education. The tools for digital learning include online courses and virtual classrooms that make learning more accessible, engaging, flexible and personalised. It provides flexibility to students in learning at their own pace and accessing resources that best suit their individual needs. This includes online platforms, with the introduction of MOOCs, which became especially prominent at the beginning of the 21st century due to the development of digital technologies in an increasing demand for flexibility. In this article I use the terms digital and online learning interchangeably, although it is not technically correct (digital learning is an umbrella term, where learning utilises digital technologies, whereas online learning requires connection to the internet). 

Hybrid learning-a paradigm often referred to as blended- effectively acts as a bridge model. It represents a transitional model that combines the flexibility of online learning activities to face-to-face or in-person instruction. It pulls the strong sides from both traditional methods and new digital modalities. Many view the integration of these digital platforms into hybrid environments as an essential way to prepare learners for an increasingly demanding digital world, while offering tailor-made learning opportunities. The future of education seems headed for more of this hybrid path, which would mix virtual lectures with hands-on lab time and in-person group work.

 

Chapter 2: Brief history of HOP

The HOP online learning platform was created to facilitate online learning in the Erasmus+ Youth and European Solidarity Corps programs. It is a community that brings together learners, authors of online courses, and facilitators, along with National Agencies and SALTO Resource Centers, all working together to increase quality in youth projects. The HOP platform is unique in that it was natively created to provide quality non-formal, online learning opportunities, and the highest level of visibility and recognition to the European programmes in the field of youth.

The HOP platform is developed using Moodle, one of the most popular Learning Management Systems (LMS). There are numerous courses on the platform highlighting the diverse aspects of youth work and showcasing its wide reach within the sector:

• Courses related to European Solidarity Corps, skills development, volunteer project management, Youthpass and competence recognition etc.
• Courses on diversity and inclusion, highlighting competences for youth work engaged with young migrants, refugees, NEETs, people with disabilities and more.
• Exploring the digital dimension of youth work and building capacity for youth organisations.

One can even find the course “Plan, create and publish” which is a detailed tutorial for trainers, youth workers, content creators and National Agencies to develop their first online courses. 

HOP was created at the turn of 2017 and 2018 as a platform for one course of the SALTOs and National Agencies. At the end of 2025 it hosts 55 open, public courses and further 30 for pre-recruited groups of participants. At the platform there are over 18 000 users enrolled representing not only the European Union and the neighbouring partner countries, but also plenty of countries from around the globe. Anyway, the numbers are very dynamic, as every year there are over 20 new courses created, mostly open, self-paced, but also some courses are discontinued when the process with a pre-recruited group is finished.

Looking ahead, the HOP platform is always ready to keep up with technological updates. Since the platform is based on Moodle, it has adopted Moodle’s new version - 4.5, which allows the integrations of Artificial Intelligence capabilities for course creators to create text or images and for the learners to automatically summarise contents.

 

Chapter 3: Hybrid learning and Youth Work?

Youth work in today's society is going increasingly into the digital landscape, with methods adapted to support young people through this ever changing environment. Hybrid learning models are integral to preparing young people for the future workplace and equipping them with the required skills to negotiate their way through an uncertain world.

The integration of hybrid learning into work with young people has a few characteristic roles:

1. Improvement of digital and media literacy: One of the main roles of digital youth work is improvement in data/media literacy and skills in using technology. Youth work should equip young individuals with the ability to differentiate between truthful information and fake news, as youths may use information from the internet and AI tool output without filtering. This critical thinking skill is one of the most important in today's era.
2. Competence development: Teaching competences, along with the ethical use of content creation in AI, is one aspect of youth work. It enhances interdisciplinary problem-solving activities, which are a profound requirement for developing competences that can be used flexibly in real-life situations. Digital badges could also offer one solution to the validation and recognition of learning, skills, and achievements acquired in the context of youth work.
3. Promotion of the blended model: Youth work practice is increasingly moving towards a blended model, involving virtual and in-person components. While digital technologies provide the facility for connections through networks, the very particular advantages of physical co-presence lie in the longer-term building of relationships. That is where youth work centers and training programs can act as "accelerators" for development, as the heart of youth work will always be about providing supportive human relationships and contact.
4. Promoting student/ learner centred learning: Youth work should be at the forefront of advocating for learning models that fit the interests and talents of young people. This fits within the "self-driven passion learning scenario" of education, where learning is highly personalised. Furthermore, youth workers have to reflect on their role and be prepared to support young people in exploring and exploiting new technologies for their development.

 

Chapter 4: Key findings from HOP learning experience questionnaire

In summer 2025, we circulated a questionnaire which was answered by HOP’s most “active learners” with a view of evaluating the impact the platform has had over the last two years. The clear benefits and persisting challenges in the HOP hybrid learning experience crash course participants have confirmed an influence on their professional practice.

Benefits: Flexibility and self-pacing

The format received praise for the way it facilitated accessible and flexible learning, allowing participants to manage professional commitments, participants appreciated the self-paced nature and permanent access to resources:

• The advantages to me of the HOP learning initiative's format were its flexibility and accessibility, with the benefit of being able to learn at my own pace. Fully online (or hybrid/blended), it allowed for learning to be balanced against my work commitments.
• As a first, the fact that learning was self-paced. Then, also the fact that material needed for learning was always ready to be consulted at any moment.
• The format kept learning engaging and practical via a ‘mix of live sessions and self-guided tasks.

Challenges: Engagement and technical problems

For participants, maintaining engagement and connectivity in the virtual environment was their biggest challenge: 

• The most complex issue was maintaining consistent focus and motivation in an online setting.
• Building deeper connections with other participants felt more difficult compared to face-to-face learning.
  

One youth worker was adamant: Online learning in youth work does not really empower the participants. You can set all the calls that you want, but in-person meeting is mandatory if the group is to grow together. While another one puts the usefulness of synchronous digital sessions into question: Some online sessions felt too general to me, especially the extensive breakout room conversations. It is nice and useful to connect with others but it felt more like a pastime. It is difficult to transfer non-formal learning well into the digital space in a synchronous way.

Impact on youth work practice 

The course enhanced practical digital skills and shifted professional mindsets, often leading to the creation of new content. A shifted mindset and a radical change in approaching youth work: HOP really changed the way I approach youth work, especially in terms of online learning. Previously, I didn't think that online spaces could be so engaging, but then after the crash course, I saw how creative and interactive they can be.

Improved inclusion, demonstrated by a participant mentioning the enhancement of skills in non-formal education methodologies. After going through the resources on digital facilitation I improved the way I deliver online activities for young people—making them more interactive and accessible, especially for those with different learning needs.

Another respondent described concrete change, showcasing the need for occasional hybrid adaptation: after completing a HOP course, I redesigned one of my in-person workshops into a hybrid format. Using interactive digital tools I learned about on HOP, I was able to engage both in-person and remote participants effectively-something I wouldn't have attempted before.

 

Chapter 5: Thoughts on the future of Non-Formal Education & improving HOP Inclusion

The future of non-formal education in youth work will be characterised by the constant prominence of the hybrid model and the speeding up of technology, especially AI, to which strategic adaptation is needed.

Technological and Educational Trends for close future:

1. Ascendancy of AI and personalised learning: Integration of Artificial Intelligence is expected to increase, especially in the development of personalised learning pathways. These systems study student behaviours, recognise knowledge gaps, and adapt content according to the needs of students. This will help a lot in reinforcing learner participation and material retention. The base technology for HOP, the Moodle software, has been upgraded to Moodle 4.5, which includes AI for content creation and summarisation on the learner side.
2. Hybridisation and flexibility: The future model of education will be hybrid, mixing online flexibility with needed in-person interaction. The continuing trend toward flexible modalities includes the growth of mobile learning (m-learning) and the rise of microlearning: short, focused lessons available any time. This reflects also on the renewed prioritisation of the EU in micro-credentials (Erasmus+ guide 2026).
3. Emphasise on critical future-ready skills: The non-formal education, including youth work, needs to focus on a few skills that prepare the young for an uncertain future, like creativity, communication, critical thinking, and digital literacy. Problem-solving would also be key. Youth workers themselves should be equipped to cope with and leverage emerging technologies.

Priorities for inclusive and accessible non-formal education, including HOP:

1. Guaranteeing effective hybrid learning in non-formal education, especially through the HOP in EU youth work, requires a focussed approach to issues of inclusion and accessibility.
2. Addressing the digital divide(s): One of the major strategic recommendations by policymakers would be investment in infrastructure and accessibility to let affordable device access and high-speed internet reach rural and underserved areas for inclusive and equitable digital learning. Even our short questionnaire showcased that a number of participants were facing quite a few technical challenges. 
3. Improved pedagogical and digital inclusion: The design of the digital content must be inclusive, culturally relevant, and consider all abilities and learning styles. This, importantly, must make sure that content is accessible to learners with any kind of disability who might use assistive technologies. AI can support this by rewriting texts or providing easy-to use alternatives for those that need it. Examples include people in the autism spectrum, blind people using screen readers, participants for whom there might be a language barrier and many more. 
4. HOP user experience improvement: Improvement in HOP should focus on user engagement and beginner support, based on the feedback we received (some quotes are included):

• • Incorporating more varied interactive elements throughout the courses, such as quizzes, polls, or gamified challenges, to boost engagement and retention.
  • Providing some short how-to videos or quick tips right inside the platform", which would make it easier for beginners.
  • Allowing more live chats or hangouts within courses for better connections among people and sharing of ideas.
  • Avoiding that some courses are way too derivative and have half their material from other courses.

The genuine and sustainable change being sought in youth work requires embracing a whole-system change approach, as suggested by the European Academy on Youth Work research report "Futures of Youth Work". This means investment is needed not only at the individual youth worker level, say, training in digital literacy-but also at the collective and formal structural level, such as policies to support change. In this way, the field can be agile and prepared for embracing such a blended model for the future (which has already become the past...).

 

References

Together with the HOP platform community and the questionnaire responses, the main sources used to develop the article were:

Evrard G., Marković D., Senyuva O., Szymczyk A., Futures of Youth Work: Future Foresight Research Report(October 2024). Ljubljana: Movit, 

The role of online platforms in building a flexible future for education (30 January 2024) in Tech Funding News. 

Cheng X., Feng W., Kuek F., Zou Y., Digital learning in the 21st century: Trends, challenges, and innovations in technology integration (28 March 2025) in Frontiers in Education (volume 10, 2025).