When I first learned about HyFlex from reading Dr. Brain Beatty’s online articles and webinar resources referred to the 4 HyFlex pillars. Over time he started to call the pillars, principles. I need to to ask him why the change in terms. In the interim, I checked the meanings of the two words. Merriam-Webster (online) defines pillars as firm upright supports for a superstructure or a fundamental precept. Principles are underlying capability or a rule (comprehensive “law, doctrine or assumption”). In the context of HyFlex, there are 4 value constructs; 2 pillars and 2 principles. In my opinion, without pillars, you do not have HyFlex. Principles are ethics-based. They demonstrate our commitment to design and deliver courses that support learner success.
HyFlex Pillars
The HyFlex pillars are learner choice and equivalency. In the 2019 online HyFlex book edited by Dr. Beatty, he defines learner choice as providing meaningful alternative participation modes and enable students to choose between participation modes daily, weekly, or topically. Equivalency is providing learning activities in all participation modes which lead to equivalent learning outcomes.
Learner Choice
“The primary reason a HyFlex course design should be considered is to give students a choice in how they complete course activities in any given week (or topic). Without meaningful choice, there is no flexibility … and therefore no HyFlex. Without flexibility all you have is a standard hybrid course. (Not a bad thing, perhaps, but also not HyFlex.) Choosing to implement this principle requires that an instructor value providing participation choice to students more than s/he values forcing everyone into the “best” way of learning a set of content (Beatty, 2019)”. Meaningful choice is an opportunity for learners to select from options that fit their needs. For example, offering learners to choose whether to attend online remotely at the same time as other attend in-person, onsite, may not fit their needs. A learner who does not have transportation or needs to stay at home with children may find the option to attend online at a specific time a helpful option. Others may require an asynchronous online option due to work or other time-specific commitments. Another thing to consider are due dates. If possible, offer learner choice to complete work within a timeframe that supports learner progression, allows for life conflicts, permits others to respond (ex. discussions and group work), and does not overburden the teacher.
Equivalent Learning (Equitable)
“All alternative participation modes should lead to equivalent learning. Providing an alternative approach to students which leads to inferior learning “by design” is poor instructional practice and is probably unethical. Equivalency does not imply equality, however. An online learning experience (i.e., asynchronous discussion) may turn out to be much less socially interactive than a classroom-based discussion activity. In each case, however, students should be challenged to reflect upon learning content, contribute their developing ideas to the discussion, and interact with the ideas of their peers. Providing equivalent learning experiences in various modes which lead to equivalent learning outcomes may be one of the greatest challenges in the HyFlex approach (Beatty, 2019)”. Before designing your course for HyFlex delivery, revisit the course outcomes. Are they SMART?
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time-oriented
Equivalence can be a challenge when the course is required to meet seat time, for example 3 hours teacher contact time versus anticipated time to achieve competency mastery. Remember, however, that if you start with an asynchronous course design and add the alternate activities, it will be easier to maintain time equivalency. When crafting your activities consider the HyFlex reusability principle (see below).
HyFlex Principles
The HyFlex principles are reusability and accessibility. Reusability is the utilization of artifacts from learning activities in each participation mode as “learning objects’ for all students. Accessibility is equipping students with technology skills and equitable access to all participation modes.
Reusability
“Many class activities which take place in classrooms can be captured and represented in an online-delivered form for online students. Podcasts, video recordings, discussion transcripts or notes, presentation files and handouts, and other forms of representation of in-class activities can be very useful – both for online students and for classroom students wishing to review after the class session is finished. In a similar way, the activities completed by online students, such as chats, asynchronous discussions, file posting and peer review, etc. can become meaningful learning supports for in-class students as well as provide useful review materials for online students. And indeed, artifacts from some learning activities, such as, glossary entries, bibliographic resource collections, and topical research papers, may become perpetual learning resources for all students in future courses as well. Many of the case reports in Unit III describe specific ways to reuse learning resources (Beatty, 2019)”. Consider all artifacts from all learning environments that benefit current and future course participants.
Accessibility
“Clearly, alternative participation modes are not valid alternatives if students cannot effectively participate in class activities in one or more modes. If a student is not physically capable of attending class, then in-class participation is not an option for that student. If a student does not have convenient and reliable Internet access, then online participation may not be a realistic option for that student…Another key aspect of accessibility is the need to make all course materials and activities accessible to and usable for all students. For example, audio or video recordings should include text transcripts or be close-captioned, web pages and learning management systems must be “screen reader friendly”, and all forms of online discussion should meet universal design guidelines for accessibility. (CAST.org, nd.) As more students with varied learning-mode abilities enter graduate programs and public, regulatory and legal pressures for universal design for accessibility increase, this aspect becomes increasingly important… Even when unattainable for all, full and equitable access is still an important goal to strive to achieve (Beatty, 2019). [Create and reference an Appendix of tools and resources]