THE ADVOCATE 79
VOL. 79 PART 1 JANUARY 2021
6. Adapting to HyFlex teaching can be a steep—but usually short—
learning curve.
We are learning as we are going, and although we feel much more comfortable
in the world of videoconferencing than we did a few short months ago,
we are still beginners who are trying to understand its possibilities and limitations.
We have complicated the exercise by combining the in-person with
the videoconferencing, and we sometimes find that we have to remind ourselves
that we are connecting to a divided group of learners, even as we
strive to bring them together. Simple things, such as remaining in front of a
camera, can be an irritation but are important.
Final Thoughts (After Three Months)
We are only two from a small group of instructors who have experimented
with the HyFlex classroom at Allard Hall. Just as we taught differently
before the pandemic imposed restrictions, so we are all building different
HyFlex classrooms. Many of our other colleagues are doing marvelous
things entirely online. This diversity of approaches is important, not least
for the learning opportunities that it provides us.
We will certainly welcome the return to teaching without pandemicimposed
constraints. In the meantime, we feel fortunate to be able to maintain
some normalcy in the classroom while we endure the “new normal”
outside.