Interest Building Around the HyFlex Model of Course Delivery

February 1, 2018 / By: Glori Hinck

What is HyFlex?‌‌

HyFlex simply stands for Hybrid + Flexibility. The model offers a flexible participation policy within a single course. Student can choose to attend a class session in the traditional classroom, face-to-face, or they can participate online, either synchronously or asynchronously. HyFlex is all about choice. Students can change their mode of attendance daily, weekly or by topic, according to need, or by preference. (See 7 Things You Should Know about HyFlex for more details).

Jim Shovein- HyFlex Instructor, Opus College of Business

In the summer of 2017, Jim Shovein taught an undergraduate summer school course in finance, using the HyFlex approach. This video clip demonstrates the classroom teaching technique used to support the three components of the HyFlex model.

What was the student experience?‌

The Canvas course site presented the activities that were going to be done in the three modalities for each course session.

Class sessions were broadcast for students participating synchronously online, and recorded for playback by the asynchronous students as well as for review by anyone at any time.

Discussions were held in three different modalities, depending on how the student was engaging with the material during a class session.

What was the student reaction?

Shovein is planning to teach the course again in the summer of 2018, using the HyFlex model, and is increasing enrollment to meet demand.

How was the classroom technology set up to support the HyFlex course?

Associate Director of A/V and Classroom Technology, Our Staff, configured a cloud-based environment that made it possible to integrate hardware and software in a way that could be controlled by a student room monitor.

Conclusion

The successful delivery of this pilot HyFlex course was made possible by a collaboration between the instructor, STELAR staff, and students and utilizing our new instructional technologies: Canvas, Zoom, Proctorio, Panopto, classroom video camera and videos display, and a smart board.

Publications and presentations

STELAR staff have had the opportunity to share their experiences and perspectives on the HyFlex model with other institutions. Mostly recently, Dr. Glori Hinck presented The HyFlex Model of Course Delivery- Tribulations, Triumphs, and Technology at the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) Annual Meeting in February, and was interviewed by INSIDE HIGHER ED for the article Introducing a New(-ish) Learning Mode: Blendflex/Hyflex.

Thanks to Jim Shovein and the students in his class for their leadership in moving HyFlex forward.