Hybrid Pedagogies: Nurturing teaching presence in multi-modal learning spaces

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted teaching and learning practices, particularly those in Higher Education. Students and Educators are reflecting on their practices and experiences over the past 18 months and the demand for new modes of teaching and learning have emerged. One such mode is Hybrid-Flexible or HyFlex. Utilising a HyFlex model, teachers teach students at the same time face-to-face (f2f) and synchronously online through video-conferencing software while enabling other students to engage in asynchronous learning (Beatty, 2019). Each class and learning activity is offered in-person, synchronously, and asynchronously. An underlying principle of HyFlex is to ensure a cohesive, connected student experience and to ensure that no student is academically disadvantaged. While a HyFlex design enables students to choose whether to attend classes f2f or online, synchronously or asynchronously, it requires faculty to reconceptualize the learning experience and rethink student engagement. Designing, developing and facilitating multiple modes of participation in HyFlex is a challenging endeavour which calls for specialized pedagogical knowledge, competencies and skills (Ulferts, 2021). There is a need to prepare educators for the diverse set of multifaceted roles HyFlex presents, however, there is a dearth of literature which explores the pedagogies that integrate physical and virtual learning spaces in the HyFlex learning environment. This paper firstly defines HyFlex and examines its strengths and shortcomings with a particular focus on pedagogy. Universal design principles and instructional strategies are then outlined and the notion of presence in the HyFlex teaching and learning environment is considered.  In particular, it considers the role of teaching presence and how it might be redefined in a Hyflex environment to ensure cohesive, coordinated quality provision.