EIU Faculty Development and Innovation Center

A Hybrid-Flexible, or HyFlex, course is defined as a course that is offered as face-to-face (F2F), online synchronous, and/or online asynchronous formats simultaneously. Each class period is offered in multiple modalities as face-to-face, online synchronous, and/or online asynchronous formats. Unlike online or face-to-face courses, HyFlex modality provides flexibility and choice for learners. In F2F courses, learners are expected to attend classes in person at scheduled times and locations. Online courses can require students to participate either synchronously (at set times via video conferencing) or more commonly asynchronously (completing coursework on their own schedule by an assigned due date).

Another way to state how EIU defines HyFlex is:

HyFlex courses are purposefully designed to:

1. combine at least two course modalities: classroom (face-to-face) and at least one online (synchronous and/or asynchronous)
2. support ongoing student choice (flexibility) among these course modalities.

For an explanation of the difference between synchronous and asynchronous modalities see A Primer on the Evolving Landscape of Digital Learning Modalities Web Article by Josh Herron, Ph.D., Director of Professional Learning at the Online Learning Consortium (OLC).

Yes, per the current MOU between UPI and EIU administration, learners may choose which modality to utilize for course participation each class period. The specific online options available will depend on how the faculty member has designed their particular HyFlex course. 

For example, a learner might attend Monday's lecture in person, then choose to participate online for Wednesday's class. Depending on the course design, this online participation could involve joining a live video conference session (synchronous) or accessing recorded materials and completing activities on their own schedule (asynchronous). Some HyFlex courses may offer both synchronous and asynchronous online options, while others may focus on one primary online modality in conjunction with the face-to-face modality. 

Faculty should provide information to their learners regarding online modality specifics and flexibility options available in the HyFlex course.

The online delivery format should be noted as synchronous and/or asynchronous at the time of course scheduling so that potential learners are aware of whether they need to participate during set times. 

The built-in flexibility with hyflex accommodates varying schedules, learning preferences, geographic constraints, and life circumstances without requiring learners to commit to a single format for the entire semester. Face-to-face and online courses lock learners into one delivery method. Hyflex empowers learners to adapt their participation based on their immediate needs and circumstances, creating a more personalized educational experience. 

Ideal characteristics of faculty who teach HyFlex courses: 

• proficient with video conferencing, screen sharing, and EIU’s learning management system D2L 

• comfortable with managing multiple learning environments (face-to-face classroom, synchronous online environment, and asynchronous) simultaneously 

• organized and prepared in advance for class and activities 

• comfortable with multiple styles of teaching 

• able to keep learners engaged both in the classroom and those participating synchronously online 

• have ensured access to appropriate technology and technical support before committing to HyFlex instruction 

• skilled at clear communication in multiple learning environments (face-to-face, synchronous online, and asynchronous) 

• willing to experiment and adapt as HyFlex often requires real-time adjustments 

• prepared for the additional planning time and complexities that HyFlex instruction requires 

In order to teach a class as HyFlex,the course must first be amended through the course proposal/course revision process (e.g. department curriculum committee, college curriculum committee, and then Council of Academic Affairs or Council of Graduate Studies). Once a course has been approved for this modality, then the instructor should work with their department chair to have a class listed as HyFlex. 

Brian Beatty, Associate Professor of Instructional Technologies at San Francisco University, and editor of Hybrid-Flexible Course Design (Beatty, ed., 2019) presents four core values informing HyFlex course design: 

1. Learner Choice – The course provides alternative participation modes that are meaningful and allow students to choose the mode of engagement that works best for them. 
2. Equivalence – The modes, though not equal, provide equivalent learning outcomes. All students are expected to reflect, contribute developing ideas, and interact with their peers in the process of learning.
3. Reusability – Artifacts from learning activities in each mode are captured and can be reused in other modes. Representations of in-class activities (recordings, discussion notes, etc.) are available online for all students; activities produced by online students (asynchronous discussions, posted files, etc.) connect to and support all students.
4. Accessibility – Students are equipped with the technological resources and skills to equally access all participation modes. Universal Design for Learning principles are considered. 

To start, to consider these values in the context of a HyFlex course or session you would teach, the following worksheets from Beatty’s monograph may be useful: 

• Analyze and Confirm or Modify Expected Student Learning Outcomes Worksheet (Figure 1.4.2 in Beatty, 2019) can help you define learning objectives that apply to all students, whether they are in-person or online. 

• Plan Student Learning Activities (Content and Interaction) Worksheet (Figure 1.4.3 in Beatty, 2019) can help you start to think about learning activities that would map to those objectives for each group of students. 

With the course and module learning objectives, the diversity of your learners, and classroom technology setup in mind, intentionally plan each class session. View this open educational resource (OER) of example plans for a 50-minute and 75-minute class sessions from Kevin Kelly of San Francisco State University. Consider how you might use these templates to create your own plan for each class session. Consider who could benefit from receiving class sessions plans (or forms of them such as an agenda). Providing this information to learners in advance can especially help those learners participating synchronously remain focused and know what to expect and when to engage and participate. 

We currently recommend using a meeting camera (coordinate with your college/ department for use) to implement a HyFlex course. Used in conjunction with an approved cloud-based platform for online communication that primarily provides video and audio conferencing, this technology has proven itself reliable and delivers a quality experience for learners in the teaching spaces we have tested it in. Training and support for this technology will be provided by EIU’s Instructional Support and Training Specialists (ISTS) via the FDIC, as well as Information Technology Services (ITS) specialists.

We currently recommend using a meeting camera to implement a HyFlex course.This technology is used in conjunction with approved cloud-based platform for online communication that provides video and audio conferencing, which should be available on all faculty computers in EIU classrooms. Check with your college or department on the availability of meeting cameras.

HyFlex classroom technology requests should be coordinated within your college or department. Because the technology required to implement a HyFlex course is a finite and high demand resource, colleges/departments should coordinate and prioritize the sharing of these resources.

Because coordination within colleges/departments is necessary, please plan to request technology as early as possible. Some academic areas may choose to implement a dedicated space for HyFlex teaching (e.g. a specific classroom) where the technology to offer HyFlex is permanently or semi-permanently installed. Faculty could share this space by coordinating class meeting times. Other areas may opt to utilize the technology in a more fluid approach (mobile camera mounts, extra long cables, etc...).

These processes will demand careful consideration, so the more time there is to prepare and schedule, the better.

Once your Hyflex course is approved and the meeting space coordinated by your department or college, work with your Instructional Support & Training Specialist (ISTS) to schedule a practice/training session. They are happy to assist in the process of learning this technology to expand your toolset for implementing an effective and robust HyFlex environment. FDIC Staff Listing Webpage

For immediate assistance during normal business hours, it is advisable to contact your Instructional Support and Training Specialist (ISTS) by calling their work number (FDIC Staff Listing Webpage) and emailing fdic_help@eiu.edu (emailing creates a “ticket” that all ISTS’s will see in event your assigned ISTS is unavailable, another can respond as quickly as possible). You may also request Information Technology Services (ITS) assistance by emailing techsupport@eiu.edu or by calling (217)-581-HELP.

Should there be a technology failure during your class, and your class is scheduled during normal business hours, an Instructional Support & Training Specialist (ISTS) will prioritize assisting you as quickly as possible. Contact the ISTS staff by emailing fdic_help@eiu.edu to create an immediate ticket that will be distributed to all ISTS’s. You may also choose to try to contact your assigned ISTS directly for assistance, but know that if they are unavailable, another FDIC staff member might respond to offer the promptest service possible. FDIC Staff Listing Webpage

An additional resource is the Information Technology Service (ITS) department; their Help Desk can be reached at (217)-581-HELP or live chat (https://www.eiu.edu/panthertech/). They can often provide immediate assistance if network, authentication, or program access are the concern.