We Hyflexed, and Here Is What We Learned

Concurrent Session 2
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Brief Abstract

A cross-functional team at a private, non-profit, Hispanic-Serving Institution responded to emerging needs from the required shutdowns for COVID-19, as well as the potential need for longer-term, remote-based teaching, to design and pilot Hyflex delivery. Pilot results will be presented, as well as lessons learned in Hyflex design and implementation.

Presenters

Lead Presenter: Bettyjo Bouchey, National Louis University

Dr. Bouchey is Associate Professor and Vice Provost, Digital Strategy & Operations at National Louis University where she is responsible for standards of quality and service for online programming and credit for prior learning across the institution, as well as Learning Experience Design. Dr. Bouchey has had the opportunity to lead all aspects of an online campus and programming in her career and spends time each week in deep dialog with an engaged personal learning network discussing the evolving nature of online education. Dr. Bouchey holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University at Albany, an M.B.A. in Entrepreneurship from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a Doctorate in Education from Northeastern University. She is a co-founder of the CORAL Research collaborative focused on online leadership and scholarship; her personal research interests include the nature and future of organizational structures of online units in institutions of higher education, as well as inventive and high-impact pedagogical practice in online teaching. Dr. Bouchey writes and is widely quoted in the academic and popular press; her articles and curriculum vitae can be accessed here: www.drbouchey.com.

Co-presenter: Joseph Levy, National Louis University

Dr. Joseph D. Levy, serves as the Executive Director of Assessment and Accreditation at National Louis University in Chicago, IL. Joe earned a BA in English from Baldwin-Wallace College, an MS in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Colorado State University, and his Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership from National Louis University. Experienced with multiple institutional types’ assessment efforts, Joe is a member of the Student Affairs Assessment Leaders (SAAL) Board of Directors, leads the Applying and Leading Assessment in Student Affairs open course, and is an endorsed speaker for the National Institute of Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA).

Additional Authors

Craig Mealman, National Louis University

Ryan Bartelmay, National Louis University

Stephanie Poczos, National Louis University

Stephanie is one of the principle designers of NLU's Pathways program, which is an affordable and adaptive undergraduate program that provides comprehensive, personalized support for students of any socioeconomic status. Stephanie has worked at NLU for ten years in many areas of the University. She is the Associate Dean of Pathways and General Education. She has also designed and implemented the B.A. in Applied Communications program launched in 2013. Prior to coming to NLU, Stephanie taught English and Senior Studies at the high school level and served as the Director of Online Learning in District 204, often serving populations of high-need and minority students. She has taught and developed courses at a variety if universities, including Charter Oak State College, which was one of the first colleges to utilize a competency-based learning model. Stephanie is a mom, a Cubs fan and lover of high heels. Before teaching, Stephanie was a Senior Broadcast Producer at Ogilvy and Mather in Chicago and worked with clients around the world. Stephanie holds an Ed.S. in Educational Leadership and a Master of Arts in Teaching from National Louis University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Iowa.

Extended Abstract

Session Title: We Hyflexed, and Here Is What We Learned

Presenters and Authors: Bettyjo Bouchey (OLC email: bettyjo_bouchey@yahoo.com); Joseph Levy (OLC email: joedlevy@gmail.com); Craig Mealman (cmealman@nl.edu)

Session Type, Conference Track, Institutional Level, and Audience Level

Session Type: Education Session 

Conference Track: Teaching & Learning Practice 

Institutional Level: Higher Ed

Audience Level: All

Keywords: Hyflex, flexible course design, student agency, adult returning students

 

Extended Abstract

A cross-functional team at a private, non-profit, Hispanic-Serving Institution in the midwest responded to the need that presented itself through the shutdowns required during the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States, as well as the potential need for longer-term, remote-based teaching and learning by designing a phased, mixed methods study that will incorporate student and faculty input into the design of a Hyflex course (pilot delivery model) and to examine the impacts of the model on student agency, satisfaction, and learning achievement. The study was conducted in the Summer term of 2021 in an undergraduate degree program largely serving adult learners. The guiding research questions were:

  1. Student Agency: Research Question 1 (RQ1): What factors influenced students' sense of agency when making learning choices within the pilot delivery model?

  2. Student Satisfaction: Research Question 2 (RQ2): What factors influenced students’ sense of satisfaction within the pilot delivery model?

  3. Learning Achievement:

    1. Research Question 3 (RQ3) (a): How does student agency influence learning achievement?

    2. Research Question 3 (RQ3) (b):  How does student satisfaction influence learning achievement? 

With COVID-19 interrupting operations at higher education institutions throughout the United States, attendees stand to benefit from exposure to one institution’s approach, implementation, and lessons learned in relation to piloting a Hyflex model (Garrett et al., 2020). Moreover, an increasing demand in flexible modalities beyond face-to-face instruction - even pre-pandemic - makes the conversation with presenters relevant in exploring key student and faculty input guiding the creation of a pilot delivery model. Given the growing necessity and priority of doing more to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion into higher education practices (Montenegro & Jankowski, 2020), the presentation’s focus on student agency as part of this pilot is a case study example for embedding equity and inclusion into existing institutional processes like course design.  

Session speakers will give a brief overview of the tenets of Hyflex used in the pilot at the institution, the pre-study activities that were completed to contribute to a robust pilot, and then benefit from the results and findings of the study (data is currently being compiled and analyzed since the pilot ended on September 19, 2021). Beyond audience polls throughout the session, participants will have the opportunity to engage in a Questions and Answers Forum (synchronously and asynchronously during the session). Time will also be allotted for participants to actively ideate with session speakers and peers on how tenets of Hyflex could be incorporated at their institutions to increase instructional flexibility, as well as how to better leverage student agency theory for success.  

Learning outcomes for the session include:

  1. Attendees will be able to describe at least two tenets of Hyflex as implemented by presenters.

  2. Attendees will be able to explain how student agency can be factored into course design and instructional methods.

  3. Attendees will be able to summarize the results of the pilot study.

  4. Attendees will be able to identify relevant components of the pilot study which could be implemented at their institution or in their practice.

  5. Attendees will identify one issue or challenge related to considering implementing a Hyflex design at their institution

References