What are Hyflex classes? The evolution of higher education by Nisha Parmar

What are Hyflex classes? The evolution of higher education

The concept of Hyflex classes gained popularity as pandemic lockdowns began to ease. More people wanted to go out in public, others thought it was too early. Like many organizations, the schools have had to figure out how to provide a balanced solution.

Although it was not created during the pandemic, many institutions have adopted the hyperflex model in recent years. The question now is whether this working method will continue once we leave COVID 19 behind us.

You may be wondering if Hyflex classes are your future as an instructor or professor. Or maybe you're already using this method and want to know if it's permanent. We break down everything you need to know about them and how they can change the landscape of higher education.

What are Hyflex classes?

Hyflex is an abbreviation for "flexible hybrid". You understand the hybrid part thanks to COVID 19. It means the class is sometimes in person and sometimes online. The flexible part introduces the concept of when it occurs. It allows students to be present at the specific time when the class takes place or to attend the class according to their own schedule. This is known as synchronous or asynchronous learning.

In class process

The classroom part of a Hyflex classroom is what we all know because it's what we've known as the norm for years. The class meets in a specific room at a specific time for a specific duration.

During this session, as an instructor, you continue with the lecture or lesson. You can call students, write on the board and explain past assignments.

One caveat here is that you are not adopting a passive learning style. Hyflex classes are expected to improve student engagement, and studies show students are better engaged with active learning methods. Find more about LMS for Higher Education.

Remote synchronous

Students who are not attending the class in person can join the class live from their own devices. Your lesson will be broadcast to these students. Ideally, whiteboard and active screens are also broadcast.

The best performing Hyflex classrooms communicate with both students in class and synchronous students online. Instead of asking your TA to answer questions, take the time to let them ask you a few questions. Now your online students feel included.

Remote asynchronous

This is where the Hyflex classes differ from the traditional hybrid classes. In addition to students in class and students from online lessons, you also have a group that is not at the lesson at the specified time. These are asynchronous students.

Asynchronous learners depend on recording your lesson along with any support material. This asynchronous part makes a hyflex lesson effective as a learning tool.

External materials

In hyflex classrooms, all students have access to all materials created for the course at any time. Students no longer need to call others to take notes after they miss a class. The class is available for them to watch from bed when they are sick. That is the power of hyflex.

Discussions

Another important advantage of the hyflex format is the discussion forum. A robust hyflex classroom contains a room, or more, designed for ongoing classroom conversation. Students can view these discussions at any time to better understand the material. They can join in at any time and continue the conversation.

Are hyflex lessons new?

The concept of the Hyflex class is not new. In fact, Hyflex classrooms were originally developed in 2006. The reason why the Hyflex conversation is rampant now is due to COVID 19, like so many other technology experiments taking shape in 2022.

The generally accepted person for developing hyflex lessons is Brian Beatty. He is an associate professor at San Francisco State University. He shared the concept in 2006 and established four principles for each hyflex class. I'm:

Learner choice

The student, not the instructor or the school, should be able to choose how to receive information and lessons from the class. Before Hyflex, schools dictated when a class was held on campus or online. Students had to make a choice upon registration and had to make that choice throughout the class.

Equivalence

The options given to the student all lead to the same result. A class learner may not learn more or less than an asynchronous learner. This prevents any form of favoritism towards students attending the physical class location. It ensures that no matter how a student wants to take the course, they should have the same level of learning. Read more about K 12 LMS for Students.

Reusability

All activities are aimed at reaching all students. For example, a classroom lecture is broadcast to synchronous students and recorded to asynchronous students. This way everyone gets the same thing out of that lesson. The same goes for classroom handouts that are then presented as digital documents. Materials are reused in the three classrooms.

Accessibility

All students have access to all materials and lessons at any time. This means that students who are primarily online can take classes if they wish. Likewise, students can view recorded sessions in class and access online materials whenever they want.

Are hyflex classes effective?

Because the hyflex classes are only now being widely implemented, the data is not extensive. However, early indications are that hyflex classes are an effective way to engage more students. This is because not all students learn in the same way and the Hyflex lessons take this into account.

A study cited by Educause found that “student needs can change unexpectedly during a course, and physical and online spaces are needed to accommodate student preferences and needs.”

“We have students who, quite literally, would have had to drop out if their courses had not been available in the HyFlex format,” Kevin Gannon, Professor of History, Grand View University

Hyflex classes are also effective in creating a more inclusive campus. Some students may have anxiety issues that prevent them from learning comfortably in the classroom. They may prefer to learn in the privacy of their room.

Non traditional students may need to juggle work or family responsibilities that other students don't have to worry about. Offering these highly flexible courses can create a campus that appeals to many different types of students.

What are the challenges of hyflex lessons?

There are two major challenges for hyflex classes. One is in configuration while the other relates to actual instruction.

Setting up a hyflex class

Traditional classes consist of a classroom, an instructor, teaching materials, and students. Online classes conducted during the pandemic were mostly ad hoc and relied on an instructor, students, teaching materials, and an internet connection.

Hyflex classes combine three modes of learning in one class and require additional technology and planning. To provide the best student experience, schools should consider new equipment such as lapel microphones, cameras, hybrid AV carts, interactive displays, lampless projectors, and more.

Running a hyflex class

It's hard enough to keep students engaged in class, but now teachers and professors have to get used to talking to both in person and external students at the same time. In addition, they will have to use extra hours to participate in discussions that take place outside the classroom. “You’re aware of the students in front of you, but then you also have to think: how do I include those students over Zoom? You can’t do this by yourself; you have to have somebody else there with you.”

Diane Thompson, instructor, Langara College

This is when the concept of the hyflex teacher assistant, or TA, becomes necessary. While you focus on the students in class, your TA collects questions online so everyone gets the information and doesn't have any technical difficulties. Your TA can answer questions live on the discussion forum and save some more relevant questions to answer live.

Wrap-up

Learning methods are constantly evolving. COVID 19 has forced higher education institutions to adapt, and hyflex classrooms are a popular approach with multiple benefits that seem to outweigh any drawbacks. Time will tell how many schools use Hyflex permanently, but early indications are that students want options that fit their lifestyles.