Choosing a Class To Offer HyFlex

Our initial scan found that HyFlex was being offered in many different types of adult education classes: English language, adult basic education, adult secondary education, and integrated education and training (IET). When planning to offer a new HyFlex model class, it's important to consider which classes have learners who have the academic skills, digital literacy skills, technology access, and resilience needed to pilot this new format. Many of the adult education practitioners we interviewed were offering HyFlex for English language learners with intermediate to advanced skills or for high school equivalency classes. However, that’s not to say these are the only learners who can excel in a HyFlex class. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that learners with a wide range of skills can thrive in online learning when given quality instruction, supports for learning, and access to digital devices and home broadband internet.

Adult Education HyFlex Instruction Models

Beatty’s (2019) model for HyFlex includes three instructional modes in which learners can daily choose which way they’d like to participate: in-person class, online synchronous class, or asynchronous online instruction. In our initial nationwide survey of adult education programs providing HyFlex, we found that most learners chose one instructional mode and tended to stick to that format. One variance was that occasionally in-person learners would choose to join the live online class because of weather, childcare, work schedules or transportation issues, but then would return to in-person classes once the driving factor for choosing the remote option was no longer operative.

As you plan your HyFlex class or program, you’ll want to consider what instruction looks like in each of the HyFlex modes. Below are some models that we identified during our initial scan of HyFlex classes. Keep in mind that many of the programs where we observed these models continue to refine them to best meet the needs of their learners.

Table 1. Examples of the Three HyFlex Modes at Different Adult Education Organizations 

Program Location	Of Note	In-Person and Synchronous Online Class	Online Asynchronous Activities
Arizona (Mesa)	Students required to attend either online or in-person class Asynchronous component used more for homework Attending in-person open lab was optional	Twice weekly, three hours each	Two hours a week Homework with some assignments aligned to class and some self-paced assignments
Arizona (Pima)	Students reserve in-person class spots using Picktime	Twice weekly, for two hours each	Class recordings
Arizona (Arizona Center for Youth)	Not-for-profit center for out-of-school youth	Either two or four times weekly (depending on class), for 1.5 hours each	One hour per week minimum required as homework
California (Garden Grove)	Learners choose preferred method of attendance at the beginning of the semester but can switch between modes	Four times weekly, for 2.5 hours each	Class recordings
California (Santa Barbara)	Open-entry, open-exit model, as well as managed enrollment	Varies, depending on class. ASE/GED meets four times weekly for four hours, with two of those days HyFlex	As a resource for independent learning or as additional resource to accelerate progress
Illinois (Waubonsee Community College)	Both daytime and evening classes are offered	Twice weekly, three hours each	LMS: Canvas
Minnesota (Hubbs Center)	Offers HyFlex for ESL, ABE, and IET classes	Four times weekly, for two hours each, plus homework	Google Classroom
Wisconsin (Milwaukee Area Technical College)	Found that HyFlex worked for ESL learners with lower level English skills	Twice weekly, for 1–3 hours each (depending on the class)	Class recordings

HyFlex Lesson-Planning Approach

Once you decide on your HyFlex model, you can begin to plan instruction for each mode. Beatty (2019) has developed four guiding principles that can guide HyFlex implementation and lesson planning. Each principle is presented along with an example from an adult education HyFlex class.

Learner Choice

As you plan instruction, allow learners to choose how they complete course activities in any given week or topic. This means each mode needs to address the same objectives; however, how learners reach those objectives may vary. 

Example: 

In-person learners who have internet-accessible devices in the classroom, synchronous online learners, and asynchronous learners may each complete a Jamboard activity to practice giving direction and using sequence words. In-person learners may also have the option of completing this activity using paper cut outs or sticky notes. Regardless of what mode the learner chooses to participate, they are provided with equivalent learning opportunities. 

Equivalency Principle

Regardless of which mode learners choose, they should achieve equivalent learning. The same learning objectives should serve as the basis for the content and activities, and learners should strive to achieve the same outcomes. 

That doesn’t mean that all learning modes will have the same learning experiences. For example, a learner participating in the online asynchronous mode may reach the same learning objectives as those participating  in-person  or synchronously, but could have less social interaction in the process.

Example: 

An ESL HyFlex class objective may be to succeed at giving written directions using the imperative form. In-person and online learners write these directions in small groups, while an asynchronous learner may do this independently. However, after completing the learning activities, all learners should be able to give written directions using the imperative form.

Reusability Principle

Resources that you use for one mode can also be used for others. This can help to save time and ensure that HyFlex teaching leads to equivalent learning outcomes for all learners. Using templates and classroom routines can also help with this.

Examples:

• All learners complete an activity in their LMS using a publisher’s online curriculum. This eases the burden of creating online asynchronous content.
• Teachers post the in-person and synchronous online class recordings and online resources. This is a valuable way for asynchronous learners to access instruction and practice skill building.
• Programs develop templates for content in their LMS. This makes it easier for teachers to customize and share information specific to their class.
• Programs create a PowerPoint template that provides structure to a classroom routine. This allows teachers to save time with lesson planning and resource development.

Accessibility Principle

As you plan your instruction, you’ll want to ensure that learners have the technology skills and access to participate in all modes to the best extent that your resources allow. Digital literacy self-assessment tools (see Figure 6) can inform you of learners’ technology skills (World Education, 2020).

Figure 5. Digital literacy self-assessment tool
Modified from EdTech Center @World Education. (n.d.) https://edtech.worlded.org/resource/digital-literacy-self-assessment-tool

Some programs use digital navigators to ensure learners have access to technology and Wi-Fi, as well as ensure they have the digital literacy skills needed to use them (Building a Digitally Resilient Workforce, (https://edtech.worlded.org/resource/digital-literacy-self-assessment-2020).

Beatty (2019) also advocates for ensuring your materials are accessible and usable for all learners. The EdTech Center @ World Education’s Lightning Talk on Accessibility in the Adult Education Classroom and the National Center of Accessibility Educational Materials are two resources to assist you with providing equitable access to learning resources.

Examples:

• An adult education teacher has all in-person learners log into the video conference platform (e.g., Zoom, Teams)  the online learners are using so that all learners have practice using video conference  tools such as chat and screen share.
• Another adult education teacher has all learners use polling software so that both in-person and online students can access the poll using a computer, smartphone or Chromebook.

HyFlex Lesson Planning Tools and Resources

Beatty (2019) recommends starting lesson planning for the asynchronous mode first. In practice, we found that adult educators approached HyFlex lesson planning differently, based on their context and program needs, and perhaps because many had yet to integrate the online asynchronous component. For example, some programs were only offering online instruction because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so they needed to consider how they would add an in-person component as they developed their HyFlex class. Another program took an in-person curriculum that was already developed and added an online component so that it could be offered as a HyFlex class.

Identify Your Standards

You’ll want to determine what content standards you’ll use as the basis for your curriculum and lesson plan objectives. Standards frequently used in adult education include the College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) and English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS). These standards not only guide lesson planning, but also can help to identify what instructional resources you’ll be using.

Core Curriculum

Most of the adult education practitioners surveyed reported that they used a proprietary or commercial resource as their core curriculum. One adult educator strongly recommended ensuring that your curriculum has online activities and resources to provide structure and activities for your HyFlex class. CrowdED Learning’s SkillBlox is a resource that can be used to identify standards-based curriculum and activities.

Learning Management System

All programs surveyed indicated that they used an LMS to organize information, learning activities, and resources for HyFlex learners. Some programs used a free LMS, such as Google Classroom, while others used a commercial LMS, such as Canvas.

Video Conferencing  Platform

All HyFlex classes used a video conference tool, such as Zoom or Google Meet. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, HyFlex survey participants indicated that they already had a platform that they used for their distance learning online classes which was also used for HyFlex instruction. One consideration for the online platform is to ensure that you have enough seats to allow in-person learners to also join online if you’d like online and in-person learners to collaborate.

Educational Technology

HyFlex adult education teachers reported that they used a variety of digital technology to engage learners and assess learning, including Nearpod, Kahoot, Poll Everywhere, Google Slides, Jamboard, Google Forms, and Pear Deck. The EdTech Integration Strategy Toolkit is one resource that can help identify digital technology for use in the three HyFlex modes.

Lesson Plan Format

Lesson plans should address how learners in each mode will engage in the learning activities and how you will assess learning. You may also find you need to provide additional details about how communication and support will be provided in each mode.

Beatty (2019) provides templates for HyFlex lesson planning and assessment, as pictured in Figures 6 and 7.

Figure 6. Student learning planning resource (Beatty, 2021)

Figure 7. Assessing learning outcomes resource (Beatty, 2019)

Orienting Learners

Several HyFlex adult education teachers and administrators noted that orientation was critical to ensuring that learners understood the expectations and format of the class and that they had the technology skills needed to thrive. Below is a summary of some of the various formats and topics that were covered in the adult education survey participants’ HyFlex orientations.

Table 2. Examples of HyFlex Learner Orientation Topics and Formats 

HyFlex Orientation Formats Offered

HyFlex Orientation Topics Covered

Learners could choose online, in person, or on-demand video Required in-person or online synchronous meeting with tech support and then a final “readiness for class” session conducted in person to ensure that all apps and programs were on the learner’s device and the learner could access all the websites needed Instructor met with students 30 minutes before the first class Technology Bootcamp which covered the LMS, major curriculum, and ed tech tools used in class  Teacher reviewed the orientation materials the first day of class Required “Getting Ready for Class” workshops Orientation conducted throughout the first few weeks of class

Technology Video conferencing technology basics, etiquette, and norms General tech skills, such as opening new tabs and typing in usernames and passwords Logging into the LMS How to get tech support Expectations Difference between HyFlex class and other classes (modalities, flexibility, teacher’s role) Learner responsibilities How to indicate class mode (when learners could switch daily) Importance of peer support Demands of the class Classroom norms (cameras on, off, raising hands, allowing students in both modalities to have a turn speaking)

HyFlex Lesson Planning Tips from the Field

Adult educators shared the following HyFlex instructional planning tips:

Online Synchronous Tips:

• Start lesson planning for online students first since they may have fewer tools available.
• Ask yourself, “How will this work for online students?” if you decide to start planning for the in-person learners first.

In-Person Tips:

• Decide whether it makes sense to do the in-person learning activity on a device or on paper but consider using technology as much as possible to build digital literacy skills for all learners.
• Ask learners to bring devices to class if you are not able to provide learners with a device. They can use their phones, tablets or computers to participate in online activities with online learners.
• Ask for volunteers to attend a specific in-person class if you find that your attendance is highly variable and your activity requires a certain number of in-person learners to be present.

Online Asynchronous Tips:

• Share your slides in your learning management system so that all learners, including the asynchronous learners, can access them.
• Set your polling software to asynchronous so that learners can access it if they miss class.
• Use online instructional software to find lessons that teach the content that was covered in the in-person and synchronous online class. This can be used as homework or practice for learners who choose to participate in the online asynchronous component.

Conclusion

As you begin to plan your HyFlex class, it may feel tedious. However, several teachers indicated that they found a rhythm with HyFlex lesson planning as they gained more experience. By looking for ways to use technology to engage learners in all modes, reuse materials across the modes, and focus on the objectives, you’ll be able to provide instruction that leads to learners in all modes reaching the learning objectives.

References

Beatty, B. J. (2019). Hybrid–Flexible Course Design (1st ed.). EdTech Books. https://edtechbooks.org/HyFlex

Building a digitally resilient workforce: Creating on-ramps to opportunity. (2020). World Education and Digital US. https://digitalus.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/DigitalUS-Report-pages-20200602.pdf

MN HyFlex Community of Practice  —  HyFlex Ideas from Mankato ABE  — Liv Musel-Staloch [TS3] lmusel1@isd77.org

Plymouth State University. (2020, May 12). Introducing HyFlex Course Design [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSatg7ooQX4

Vanek, J. (2021, December 3). Considering Use of the Hybrid Flexible Model in Adult Education. EdTech Center @ World Education. https://edtech.worlded.org/considering-use-of-the-hybrid-flexible-model-in-adult-education

World Education. (2022). Selecting an Assessment for Digital Literacy. https://edtech.worlded.org/selecting-an-assessment-for-digital-literacy