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Welcome to our March newsletter. Many of us have started another term using HyFlex courses to meet the needs of students in person, online synchronously, and asynchronously. More faculty have started to use HyFlex in their classes as they respond to student requests for flexibility and institutions aim to increase accessibility to learning in their programs. With continuing enrollment decline from pre-pandemic levels and projections of even tighter enrollment numbers on the way, lowering the barriers to participation has become one of the main issues for higher education for our time. HyFlex approaches remain one of the best ways to provide effective learning for students in multiple modes in the same course.
This newsletter 1) highlights three upcoming events: the next HyFlex Learning Community HyFlex Course Design workshop, the HyFlex Collaborative Conference in June 2024, the next HyFlex Learning Community webinar on April 4 (on the topic of presenting at the next conference and discussing the state of HyFlex in 2024), 2) introduces the latest HyFlex book case study from Southeast Missouri State University, and 3) summarizes recent HyFlex-related articles "in the news".
Upcoming Events:
1. HyFlex Learning Community Gathering (webinar)
Our next webinar is happening on April 4, 2024, from 10:00 am PT - 11 am PT. Our second annual HyFlex Collaborative Conference is scheduled for June 27, 2024. In this webinar, we will review the Call for Proposals, hear from the planning committee, and answer questions about participation. We will also ask those involved with HyFlex implementations to discuss their approaches in 2024, especially as they respond to challenges and shifts in the higher education landscape. Please join us on April 4th. Register at Eventbrite to receive the webinar link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hyflex-learning-community-gathering-april-2024-registration-866679781557
2. HyFlex Course Design Workshop - Now available in both synchronous and asynchronous modes!
Our next HyFlex Course Design "synchronous" workshop is scheduled for June 3-7, 2024. This workshop includes daily 90-minute online meetings for information and discussion. The synchronous sessions are optional and highly recommended. Asynchronous participation is fully supported in this week-long workshop as well.
New this month, we have also launched a fully asynchronous, start-and-finish-anytime workshop that is available whenever you are ready to learn. This workshop meets the same outcomes as the synchronous version but does not include any scheduled online meetings. Because there is no synchronous schedule, you can begin at any time and complete this at your own pace.
Contact hyflexlearning@gmail.com for discounted pricing for institutional groups of five or more. More information and the registration links are available at https://www.hyflexlearning.org/workshops/
3. Second Annual HyFlex Collaborative Conference
The Second Annual HyFlex Collaborative Conference is happening online on June 27, 2024. We are happy to be partnering with AACE for this conference, and more information is available at https://aatlased.org/hyflex-collaborative/hyflex-collaborative-conference-2024/ The Call for Proposals, Conference Registration, and Call for Sponsors are all active and ready for your use. A special free (open to all) event is being planned for the evening of June 26 to meet the conference's lead sponsors.
Please plan to join us this coming summer on June 26-27, 2024!
New HyFlex Case Study!
The eighteenth case study chapter was recently added to the "HyFlex" book, available free (CC license) at EdTechBooks.org, https://edtechbooks.org/hyflex/changing_students). Written by Chelsea McNeely, Brooke Hildebrand Clubbs, Sarah Dietrich, and Abby Ruessler from Southeast Missouri State University, the chapter is aptly titled HyFlex Programming as a Delivery Approach for Changing Student Demographics and Demands.
From the chapter introduction, "HyFlex at Southeast Missouri State University (Southeast), a regional public institution, evolved from a proof of concept in a single department, to a 100-section campus-wide pilot, to intentional program design. This chapter provides an outside-the-classroom look at administrative conversations, as well as a look into the classrooms of two programs that have implemented HyFlex to meet the needs of their unique student populations. These two academic programs—MA Higher Education Administration and MA Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)—have found delivering their programs HyFlex provides an avenue to serve their students in a way that other modalities do not always allow."
Read more case studies about HyFlex implementation around the world at https://edtechbooks.org/hyflex/hyflex_cases
And if you have your own story to share, please visit https://edtechbooks.org/hyflex/case1_university for more information.
HyFlex in the News:
1. Sennheiser and AVer support university's HyFlex learning - https://www.avinteractive.com/markets-news/education/sennheiser-and-aver-support-universitys-hyflex-learning-28-02-2024/
AV magazine explains how the University of Greenwich (three campuses in the UK) is using solutions from Sennheiser and AVer to support their HyFlex solutions. This article explains the AV solution put in place shows pictures of the new classroom setups, and reports "From an instructional standpoint, the AV solution has unlocked new possibilities, especially for scientific and technical courses. Remote participants have noted a more engaging experience, resulting in increased attendance."
2. ADA Summer Schoolempowers tomorrow's scholars - Stellenbosch University (South Africa) http://www.sun.ac.za/english/Lists/news/DispForm.aspx?ID=10482
The African Doctoral Academy at Stellenbosch University this summer offered its first HyFlex course to provide the option for participants to participate in learning without the requirement to travel to the university. This was very well-received by participants. “The ADA's doctoral schools have sparked considerable interest, yet delegates often face financial challenges. In response, the ADA this year offered its first full 'hyflex' course (a format that allows students to choose between attending classes in person, remotely, or through a combination of both), showcasing the ADA's commitment to offering impactful doctoral training, catering to delegates unable to travel. The Mixed Methods course received immense positive feedback from delegates – in-person as well as those joining online."
3. Rockingham Community College (North Carolina) offering HyFlex courses (2-minute local news report)
https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/news/education/hyflex-courses-give-rcc-students-optionsto-how-they-learn/83-d4c5661f-3083-47bc-9b91-b1f77dcc1fbd also on the RCC News website: https://www.rockinghamcc.edu/flexible-classes-available/
After piloting their hyFlex approach successfully with two courses in Fall 2023, RCC is expanding to include at least six more courses in upcoming terms.
4. HyFlex: A Term Worth Embracing - HigherEd Jobs - https://www.higheredjobs.com/articles/articleDisplay.cfm?ID=3776
Kenyada McLeod writes about the role HyFlex courses should play in creating more compassionate learning experiences for students in our post-pandemic world. Describing different courses needed during the pandemic response, she says "How could we possibly address the needs of learners who prefer a physical classroom session, asynchronous learning, and synchronous learning that does not require sharing space with others all at the same time? The short answer is HyFlex." Why HyFlex? In part, "...By nature, the HyFlex learning modality automatically infuses compassion and consideration for the human experience."
Kenyada's conclusion is right on target, in my opinion: "HyFlex places the learner -- a unique human being -- at the forefront of course design. Learners are engaged in the same content and are able to move through the learning experience together -- in spite of individual circumstances and differences. This compassionate approach to learning design is one to watch, consider, and embrace." |
