Abstract:

In an attempt to respond to the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education institutions have attempted to increase in the number of courses offered in alternate delivery modes; those alternate modes of delivery were previously reserved for only a limited number of students or programs. One example of this new alternate delivery mode is the hyflex (hybrid/flexible) format under which instruction involves students being offer the choice to participate online or by attending the class session in the physical classroom concurrently. According to Miller et al (2021), there is a good amount of empirical research and related publications regarding the outcomes and overall satisfaction of courses and programs delivered fully online; however this is not the case for the hyflex format due to the fact that it has only been offered more extensively in the last two years (Miller et al, 2021). EDUCAUSE makes the case that the hyflex delivery mode should be viewed a conceptual framework for delivering courses instead of a software platform (EDUCAUSE 2010).

In light of the above, this paper will review the results of a case study associated with the design, implementation and overall assessment of the hyflex format in the large lecture introductory communication course. The selected course has been offered in the specific format continuously during the last two years (four semesters). More specifically, the paper will address the rationale for implementing this format. the opportunities and challenges associated with the deployment of this mode, the student perceptions of the overall effectiveness of this mode (based on survey data) and the implications for assessment strategies. Finally, the paper provides a set of recommendations in terms of what variables institutions who will be implementing this format should consider in order to be successful (using a cost-benefit analysis).

Keywords:

Hyflex format, large lecture, delivery modes.