Engaging Learners Everywhere – The Interactive Synchronous HyFlex Method

Initially conceived as a workaround related to the crisis precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdown of 2020, Interactive Synchronous HyFlex reimagines an active-learning, team-based classroom, making it possible for any student to participate fully, whether they are seated in the back row or joining from elsewhere in the world. Developed and refined by the authors through five years of classroom experimentation and National Science Foundation–funded research, this forward-facing approach―which refers to online synchronous hybrid delivery and combines the terms “hybrid” and “flexible”―brings together learners in a single classroom who have the daily option of meeting face-to-face or synchronously online.

Through simple ideas, thought-provoking questions, and practical examples, Engaging Learners Everywhere reveals how existing technology, such as video conferencing and digital collaboration tools, can help bring students together in more robust and inclusive learning communities. This teaching model minimizes the disruptions and challenges instructors frequently encounter due to inclement weather, illnesses, and travel conflicts. Additionally, features such as live captioning, screen sharing, and classroom recordings benefit all students, not just those with disability accommodations. Ultimately, Interactive Synchronous HyFlex provides a more elastic pedagogical approach that allows students to remain engaged and connected to their instructors and to each other.

Nathan Mentzer is a professor of technology and engineering education at Purdue University, where his primary focus is preparing future teachers for the classroom. He has more than twenty years of experience as an educator in the secondary and postsecondary public school systems. He is recognized by the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA) as a Distinguished Technology Educator and National Teacher Effectiveness Coach. With National Science Foundation grant funding, Mentzer’s team has published sixteen papers related to HyFlex and received nine awards for their work related to the topic, including the QS Reimagine Education North America Gold Award.

Abdul Moeed Asad is a research assistant at Purdue University, focused on improving design education. He began using the Interactive Synchronous HyFlex model after struggling to engage online students while teaching design courses. This book stems from Asad’s experiences implementing this innovative pedagogical approach. Today, he champions HyFlex as a new standard that expands possibilities beyond traditional face-to-face instruction.

Adrie A. Koehler is an associate professor in the Learning Design and Technology program in Purdue’s College of Education, where she focuses on preparing undergraduate and graduate students to design educational experiences in blended and online environments. Prior to pursuing a career in higher education, she worked as a high school business teacher. Koehler is using what she has learned from implementing, observing, and researching the Interactive Synchronous HyFlex model to prepare preservice instructors for the realities they will encounter in the classroom.

Lakshmy Mohandas is a software design lecturer in EPICS, a service-learning design program at Purdue University, where she focuses on developing innovative teaching methodologies and experiential learning experiences. With a background in EdTech and instructional design, she pioneered the Interactive Synchronous HyFlex model, resuming face-to-face instruction in the summer of 2020, which became the foundation for our QS Reimagine Education North America Gold Award. For Mohandas, HyFlex is not simply an alternative teaching mode―it is also a transformational educational tool that ensures no student ever has to miss an opportunity to learn and collaborate, regardless of their physical location or circumstances.

Elnara Mammadova is a PhD candidate in technology at Purdue Polytechnic. As a former special educator, her research focuses on advancing digital accessibility for undergraduate students with disabilities enrolled in STEM courses. She leverages learning analytics to inform curriculum development and lesson planning, particularly in Interactive Synchronous HyFlex teaching and learning settings. By analyzing students’ learning experiences and instructional strategies, Mammadova aims to create data-driven strategies for designing digitally accessible course materials and lessons.