Offering Students Flexibility: How to Plan Your HyFlex Implementation (Austin Community College)

As a result of the pandemic forcing instruction online, educators have gained a new toolkit that allows us to provide the flexibility our students need. Why not take advantage of this experience and our newfound skills to support student success? Hybrid Flexible (HyFlex) is a course design model that presents the components of hybrid learning in a flexible course structure that offers students the option to attend in person or virtually for every class meeting. Students are able to migrate between face-to-face and online, synchronous instruction in the same week depending on what course experience they desire. There are several key components to a successful HyFlex implementation including training, support, course design, technology, and measurable goals. This workshop helps faculty prepare to implement a HyFlex instructional mode in their courses. The facilitator provides a wealth of resources to support learning about HyFlex implementation and practical, hands-on activities for faculty to begin to design their own HyFlex course alongside their peers..

By the end of this workshop, participants know or will be able to:

• List the key components of HyFlex Implementation.
• Identify what makes this course modality different than the traditional hybrid, online, or classroom instruction.
• Assess student learning outcomes, student learning activities, assessment strategies, engagement techniques, and course content to determine the suitability of offering a HyFlex course.
• Determine an initial evaluation plan for assessing the return on expectations of your HyFlex course implementation.

Plans for Audience Participation and Interaction:

Participants will engage in think-pair-share discussions, small group discussions, and polls accessed using a QR code. The results of the polls will be anonymously shared during the presentation portions of the workshop. Attendees will be provided a series of worksheets to complete alongside their peers and take back to their institution covering topics such as: Assessing the suitability of student learning outcomes; reviewing existing content; planning for new content; student engagement options; and planning for HyFlex implementation. These worksheets will allow faculty to create an action plan for their specific course and identify ways to implement the workshop learning outcomes.

All workshop participants can obtain, at no additional cost:

• A digital badge and certificate that provide a web-enabled, verifiable documentation of your professional learning experience.
• CEUs, which are awarded by passing the post-workshop learning assessment with a score of 80% or better.