HyFlex Guiding Principles - Flexible Learning Environments: Minoritized College Students’ Experiences in HyFlex

HyFlex Guiding Principles
Four guiding principles act as the pillars of the HyFlex model to provide a consistent and
solid foundation for designing high-quality learning experiences (Beatty, 2019). Learner choice,
equivalency, reusability, and accessibility are the foundational values of the model. Each of these
values corresponds with a universal or guiding principle to assist teachers and course designers.
Beatty (2019) outlined the four principles (see Figure 2):
1. Learner choice: Provide meaningful alternative participation modes and enable
students to choose between participation modes daily, weekly, or topically.
2. Equivalency: Provide learning activities in all participation modes, which lead to
equivalent learning outcomes.
3. Reusability:
Use artifacts from learning activities in each participation mode as
“learning objects” for all students.
4. Accessibility: Equip students with technology skills and equitable access to all
participation modes.
Figure 2
HyFlex Guiding Principles
Note. Adapted from Hybrid Flexible Course Design, by B. J. Beatty, 2019, EdTech Books.
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Learner choice is essential for allowing students access to participation in the course as
every student has unique life circumstances that may prevent them from participating in one
mode or another. Beatty (2019) contended the main reason to consider a HyFlex design is to
allow students to choose the participation mode that fits their needs. Furthermore, Beatty (2019)
argued, “Without meaningful choice, there is no flexibility . . . no ‘Flex’ . . . and therefore
no HyFlex. Without flexibility all you have is a standard hybrid course. Not a bad thing, perhaps,
but also not HyFlex” (section 1.3, para. 10). HyFlex course designers then should strive to
provide meaningful paths for alternate participation that students can choose from daily, weekly,
or topically.
The principle of equivalency is about creating equivalency of learning outcomes
regardless of which participation mode students choose. According to Beatty (2019), course
designers must ensure alternative participation modes lead students to equivalent learning
outcomes. It seems sensible to use a backward design approach when creating the alternative
paths so each path can be aligned to the desired learning outcomes and instructors can deliver
high-quality learning experiences in all the different paths. The spirit of this principle is students
experience the same level of excellency in their learning experience regardless of how they
choose to participate.
The reusability principle is a good practice even when faculty are teaching in other types
of instruction, and it is particularly important to embrace this principle when designing HyFlex
courses because reusing course artifacts help keep faculty workload manageable over time.
Another factor adding to the value of the reusability principle is with the advent of information
communication technologies and educational technologies, instructors can digitize many
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synchronous in-person activities and make them available simultaneously to online students.
Instructors can also save those digitized artifacts for students’ review later as online
asynchronous activities. Beatty (2019) explained certain artifacts such as glossaries,
bibliographies, and topical research papers have potential to become perpetual resources for
students enrolled in future sections of a HyFlex course. It is advisable to consider reusability as
one goes about design and creating HyFlex course and content.
The accessibility principle of HyFlex learning is founded in the notion that all students
benefit from inclusive learning environments. Course designers and instructors can use UDL
principles to design and deliver courses that benefit all students, not just students who need an
accommodation. Beatty (2019) pointed to the need to make all course materials and activities
accessible and usable for all students as a key aspect of the accessibility principle. HyFlex course
designers and instructors can leverage pedagogy, technology tools, and best practices to create
courses that are accessible by design, not just accessible by accommodation.
Although HyFlex offers students the benefit of access to high-quality, student-directed,
multimodal learning experiences, it is not perfect. Some of the challenges around HyFlex can
seem daunting for faculty. At first glance, HyFlex may seem too complicated and time
consuming on the part of the instructor. Designing multiple paths to equivalent learning
outcomes requires alignment of technology, curriculum, and the instructor’s ability to facilitate
in-person and online instruction. Another challenge for faculty is gaining access to the right
classroom space where the in-person sessions will take place. Abdelmalak (2014) noted the
possibility of having one course in which every student chooses to participate online, thus
creating a void in the in-person path of the course. Students also need to have at least a baseline
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level of digital and internet literacy. HyFlex also requires students have and are able to use the
technology necessary to participate in the learning activities.
Having choices for attendance mode is a benefit for students, but the increased flexibility
brings increased student responsibility, and some community college students may not be
sophisticated learners, lacking the maturity, skills, and agency that HyFlex learning requires, and
they may make poor choices. Despite the challenges, HyFlex has potential to increase access to
learning for all students. Educational institutions adopting HyFlex learning stand to benefit both
in the short and long term because of the student-centric focus inherent in the HyFlex learning
model.
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