While the hybrid flexible approach – HyFlex for short – is just one possibility among
several, of how we return to campus in Fall 2020, it really does offer a clear opportunity
to begin working on fall courses now, without waiting for institutions to decide a)
if locations will be open to students in fall 2020, b) how many students might be
allowed to return to campus, c) how they would respond to a mid-term resurgence of
COVID-19 cases, and so on. In organizational change scenarios, ambiguity is one of
the biggest challenges for any community and one of the biggest potential impediments
to progress and success. Being able to choose a path during a time of uncertainty
provides more time for course planning, professional development, preparation for
student support, and even technology adoption, as appropriate.
Rightfully, people want to know more about the HyFlex model – how effective it has
(or hasn’t) proven to be, how faculty would respond to the idea, how much work would
be involved, to what extent students are successful when they choose different participation
options, and much, much more. This post takes a closer look at HyFlex, both pros and
cons.
In full transparency, this is the blog of an instructional technologist at San Francisco
State University who worked in tandem with Brian Beatty. Kelly highlights the connection
between hyflex and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles and provides some
concrete examples of how you would run class activities (like group discussions) in
a hyflex model. Although grouped with seminars and small-classes, there is a section
devoted to hyflex in the large lecture model.