This post marks the culmination of BCcampus.ca FLO Micro Course “Getting Started with Hybrid and HyFlex Learning.”

For the HyFlex section, I reviewed Dr. Jenny Hayman’s article titled “HyFlex Teaching: A Promising Model for Uncertain Times”, which was featured in the Fall 2020 issue of The Professional Journal for College Administrators, Vol. 25, No. 2. Dr. Hayman is Chair of Teaching and Learning at Cambrian College in Ontario.  To read the original article, you can visit: http://ocasa.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/OCASA-2020-College-Administrator-Digital-Fall.pdf (pp. 14-18)

Summary

In this article, Dr. Hayman provides a historical overview of Cambrian College’s decision to launch HyFlex courses. This model, as she explains, was first spearheaded by Dr. Brian Beatty and colleagues. Their open source book titled Hybrid-Flexible Course Design, published in 2019, served as the guide to the college’s HyFlex initiative, a move that was precipitated by COVID-19.

Dr. Hayman also lists several teaching and learning tips that worked well when transitioning courses to HyFlex, including the need for a partnership between instructors and Instructional designers to create media rich, engaging content. She also highlights the importance of faculty training to manage the complexities of HyFlex.

For the purpose of clarifying the college’s vision of  HyFlex, Dr. Hayman defines it as:

A combination of technology-enhanced, hybrid, and online course teaching strategies that provide learners with maximum choice about whether to engage in the learning process in-person, through a live synchronous broadcast of in-person learning, or asynchronously using recorded in-person elements and digital resources. (p. 17)

Pedagogically, Dr. Hayman emphasizes that HyFlex should also consider adult learning theory, focusing on the needs of students to keep them engaged in the learning process. Leaving part of course design for when classes start, for example, is one strategy faculty can consider to bring students into the decision making process of course design and delivery.

My Thoughts

I found that Cambrian College’s  definition of HyFlex was useful. Some colleges, for example, still differentiate between blended and hybrid while others don’t and not everyone is familiar with HyFkex; hence, providing a definition  helps to clarify what HyFlex looks like at Cambrian College. However, although the article is certainly a useful resource for any college thinking about going HyFlex, more information is needed about the types of training faculty would require or how students have performed in this modality.

Overall, this article is a worthwhile resource for those teaching in Canadian Colleges. It also shows that HyFlex is possible.

This review was first shared in the course FLO Micro (July 5-9, 2012) - “Getting Started with Hybrid and HyFlex Learning”, facilitated by Matthew Stranach and Olaolu Adeleye. Scope.bccampus.ca