Strategies for Successful HyFlex Implementation
TIPS FOR TEACHING A SUCCESSFUL HYFLEX COURSE
In most ways, teaching a Hyflex class is no different than teaching any other class.
The experience of those who have taught Hyflex classes does suggest that some strategies
help to create a more successful learning environment in Hyflex classes. These strategies
have proven helpful:
- Ensure that all students have taken the Canvas Student Orientation course.
- Make certain that you have started all needed technologies and software before beginning
the class.
- Start the web camera.
- Start the microphone.
- Start the recording process in Zoom. (Students will generally remind you if you forget to start the camera or microphone,
but some instructors have found themselves needing to re-record a class, because they
forgot to start the recording process.)
- Maintain your high standards and hold all students to that same high standard.
- Enter deadlines for all deliverables (assignments, examinations, etc.) in the Course Calendar in Canvas and habituate your students to check the calendar for deadlines.
- If students email or otherwise ask about deadlines, direct them to the calendar or
check the course syllabus for the answer.
- Students with mobile devices can download the Canvas Student app onto their device and receive automatic updates when an item is changed, or a new
item posted.
- Have some graded deliverable the very first week of class to encourage students to
check in early and regularly to the class.
- Conduct the class as you would normally – whether you have a full room or only a few
students in the room.
- Check the Chat window in Zoom regularly. Your synchronous students will frequently use this forum
to ask questions or make comments during class. Students use this function frequently
throughout the class meeting.
- Include the synchronous students in all classroom discussions and when asking questions
of the class.
- Consider using the Zoom Polling feature or iClicker REEF (the Fresno State support Student Response System)
- If you plan to utilize Respondus Lockdown Browser or Monitor for exams, make sure you include instructions in your Canvas class about the process
for students and include a practice exam before any exams the students will be responsible
for.
- To post the recorded class meeting, upload the recording from Zoom into Panopto (or follow these steps for the recording to come over automatically) and link or embed into that week's module or create a module for all Class Recordings.
- Post the recorded class meeting in Canvas within 24 hours. Some of your more diligent
students will try to keep current on lectures, and will email if they can’t find the
recording.
- You can easily edit the class recordings in Panopto before posting them online.
- For more information and training on using Panopto, please review this Panopto module.
- Although you may not be able to require students to physically attend class, you can
still count attendance for grading purposes, if you desire to do so. You will have
a record of all students who are online during class in Zoom.
Adapted from: "WHAT TO EXPECT IN A HYFLEX COURSE: FACULTY HANDBOOK" by Texas A&M University is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0
Designing a HyFlex Course
HyFlex course design provides a hybrid format for face-to-face and online students
and adds a flexible participation policy for students. Students may choose to attend
face-to-face synchronous class sessions or complete course learning activities online
without attending class in person. In a HyFlex course, the instructor provides instructional
structure, content, and activities to meet the needs of students participating both
in class and online. These are not necessarily completely separated sets of activities,
and are typically not the same activities for both types of student participation,
but must be equivalent sets of activities selected so that student learning can be
effective in either participation format. No matter which participation format is
chosen, teaching and learning activities should:
- be presented effectively (and professionally)
- engage learners with generative learning activities
- use authentic assessment to evaluate student learning
The faculty member making the decision to adopt a HyFlex course design should consider
the same factors used to decide whether or not to create a fully online course, observing
these principles:
- Learner Choice: Provide meaningful alternative participation modes and enable students
to choose between participation modes weekly (or topically).
- Equivalency: Provide equivalent learning activities in all participation modes.
- Reusability: Utilize artifacts from learning activities in each participation mode
as “learning objects’ for all students.
- Accessibility: Equip students with technology skills and access to all participation
modes.
Once the decision to deliver all or part of a course in the HyFlex format has been
made, the following steps should help instructors create an effective teaching and
learning environment for both types of student participants:
- Identify learning goals
- Develop instructional objectives
- Identify/create content
- Select instructional activities
- Create clear instructions
- Prepare learning supports (documents, course site)
"USING THE "HYFLEX" COURSE AND DESIGN PROCESS" by Dr. Brian Beatty, Online Learning Consortium is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
For more information on the HyFlex model, please contact the Center for Faculty Excellence.