How The HyFlex Model Could Take Over Colleges This Fall

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With COVID-19 flaring up across the U.S., colleges are analyzing how to educate their students in the coming semester. Even as some schools pledge to reopen, concerns about severe outbreaks and mandatory quarantines make it clear that the traditional model of in-person classes is not a practical solution for many universities.

With a lack of clarity about what will be possible come fall, universities are turning to a new model, the flexible hybrid class model, otherwise known as HyFlex.

What is the HyFlex model?

In the HyFlex model, classes are conducted both in person and online, providing instructors the opportunity to teach courses in person to a subset of the class, and simultaneously live stream them for remote students. It also provides students the flexibility to choose to attend some class meetings in person and others remotely.

Why universities will turn to the HyFlex model

While universities may want to put off the decision about reopening in the fall, that becomes less practical with every day that passes. Many are considering the HyFlex model as one that they could commit to in order to provide flexible options for students and ensure the safety of their instructors. If, as the beginning of the semester approaches, COVID-19 cases rise in their area, lectures will have the option to attend remotely. If, later in the semester, those cases come under control, then there can be a switch to higher in-person attendance.

By providing the option of in-person classes, schools avoid having to defer enrollment or leave for cheaper educational options — helping schools stay financially viable. And, it will get schools comfortable with the idea of offering a mix of in-person classes and online education — important for schools that have both programs that must be in-person, like nursing clinicals and wet labs, and courses that can be easily done from a distance, like history lectures.

The HyFlex model will also allow students to begin courses in person but smoothly switch to online attendance if, for example, they learn they have come into contact with someone with COVID and need to self-isolate.

How you can implement the flexible hybrid class schedule

For HyFlex to work, each classroom needs to be equipped with lecture capture. With Ensemble Studio, you can simply set up scheduled lecture capture to run automatically when class starts, and following the lecture they are auto-published to your chosen destination. With direct integration with Zoom, instructors can easily present and teach to students remotely, without needing to manage disparate technology solutions. Ensemble Studio is compatible with simple recording devices as well, making your venture to try HyFlex at your university an affordable one.

Following the lectures, students can watch the recorded videos on-demand on their desktop or through the Ensemble Video app, a must for today’s mobile-first students.

Ensemble is an encompassing video solution that combines lecture capture and long-term video access in one tool. It provides tools for instructors to create and incorporate short video lessons separate from lectures. And, Ensemble facilitates two-way interaction with the capability for video projects to be assigned, completed and submitted within the app.

Ensemble Video supports flexible hybrid classes

Contact us to set up a demo and see how Ensemble can help you transition to a HyFlex class model.

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