HyFlex Pilot

Content goesThe Hybrid Flexible, or HyFlex, course format is an instructional approach that combines in-person and online learning. Each class session and learning activity is offered in-person, synchronously online, and/or asynchronously online. Students can decide how to participate. The flexibility of the HyFlex model demonstrates a commitment to student success, and that flexibility can also enable institutions to maintain educational and research activities during an emergency.

Up until COVID-19, the traditional modes of instruction on our campus have been face-to-face, blended, and fully online.

• Face-to-face: Curriculum is delivered in-person and synchronous student engagement is expected, although course materials and activities may exist online.
• Hybrid: Curriculum is delivered with both face-to-face and in-person. 
• Fully Online - Curriculum is delivered fully online and hence student synchronous and/or asynchronous engagement is expected.

The HyFlex model will become a another mode of instruction at Santa Monica College, with students being able to participate in person, virtually, or a mix of both. There may be synchronous and/or asynchronous opportunities involved in the virtual aspect of the course.  

INSERT TIMELINE INFORMATION HERE

A HyFlex classroom at Santa Monica College is equipped with a camera, microphone, computer, an audio/video control unit, video conferencing software, and recording software - this is in addition to the standard classroom technology. 

A HyFlex Learning environment may include a suite of tools that allows for active engagement within the learning environment as well as on-demand offline/asynchronous access to course materials, including lectures.

The Zoom video conferencing tool is the primary means to allow for synchronous teaching and learning to students who are either physically in the classroom or online.

Faculty that wish to teach a HyFlex course should be:

• comfortable with technology
• comfortable with juggling multiple audiences
• comfortable switching attention between the face-to-face classroom to the online environment
• organized and prepared in advance for lessons and activities
• comfortable with multiple styles of teaching/pedagogy
• able to keep students engaged both in the classroom and those online

Faculty who should consider not teaching a HyFlex course:

• those who aren’t comfortable with technology
• those not comfortable with multiple audiences at once
• challenged to keep students engaged both in the classroom and online
• those who are not experienced and well-versed in online methods of instruction
• those who are uncomfortable with having three different audiences (in-person, synchronously online, and perhaps asynchronously online)
• those who primarily lecture. Better options for those faculty would be to record lectures and post to Canvas or teach synchronously via Zoom

Faculty who apply to teach in this modality, and are selected, will be provided with professional development training, pedagogical consultation,  and technology support.. 

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: 

1. Identify learning goals
2. Develop instructional objectives 
3. Identify/create content 
4. Select instructional activities 
5. Create clear instructions
6. Prepare learning supports (documents, course site)

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: 

1. Ensure that all students have taken the (insert Canvas orientation course link) course.
   
   
2. Make certain that you have started all needed technologies and software before beginning the class.
   1. Start the web camera. 
   2. Start the microphone. 
   3. 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.) 
3. Maintain your high standards and hold all students to that same high standard. 
   
   
4. Enter deadlines for all deliverables (assignments, examinations, etc.) in the Course Calendar in Canvas and habituate your students to check the calendar for deadlines. 
   1. If students email or otherwise ask about deadlines, direct them to the calendar or check the course syllabus for the answer. 
   2. 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. 
5. Have some graded deliverable the very first week of class to encourage students to check in early and regularly to the class.
   
   
6. Conduct the class as you would normally – whether you have a full room or only a few students in the room. 
   
   
7. 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. 
   
   
8. Include the synchronous students in all classroom discussions and when asking questions of the class. 
   
   1. Consider using the Zoom Polling feature   
      
      
9. To post the recorded class meeting, upload the recording from Zoom into  and link or embed into that week's module or create a module for all Class Recordings. THIS WILL NEED UPDATED WTIH CORRECT INFORMATION
   
   
10. 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.
     
11. You can easily edit the class recordings in??  before posting them online.
    1. For more information and training on using Panopto, please review this Panopto module. THIS WILL NEED UPDATED WTIH CORRECT INFORMATION
12. 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.

 

Thank you for your interest in SMC's HyFlex pilot program. In the academic year 2022-2023, there will be a series of HY-FLEX pilot projects to study the impact of teaching HY-FLEX course sections. For participation in the professional development cohort and for implementation and delivery of the same HY-FLEX course in Fall 2022 and Spring 2023, faculty members will receive task reassignments for summer 2022, fall 2022, and spring 2023. Please complete the following application for consideration by April 15, 2022. 

HyFlex Pilot Faculty Application

Hybrid-Flexible Course Design :Implementing student-directed hybrid classes