HyFlex Course Design Example
Source: Kevin Kelly at https://philonedtech.com/covid-19-planning-for-fall-2020-a-closer-look-at-hybrid-
flexible-course-design/
Examples of individual HyFlex activities (à la carte!)
Use the individual activities below to construct your own class session.
Mini-lecture - roughly 10 to 12 minutes
Activity
Time
estimate
Synchronous
in person
Synchronous online
Asynchronous
online
Mini-
lecture
10 min
Students watch mini-
lecture in classroom
Students watch mini-
lecture via videoconf
Students watch
recorded mini-lecture
NOTE: Robert Talbert and Erika Biga Lee suggest pre-recording all mini-lectures and assigning
students to review them before joining the synchronous class meeting or participating in
asynchronous activities.
Regardless of when students review the mini-lecture, break into 10-12 minute segments to
address cognitive overload, to allow students to engage in an activity to encode/retain the
information, etc.
Think Pair Share - roughly 15 minutes
Activity
Time
estimate
Synchronous
online
Asynchronous
online
Instructor
prompt
Script
Move to
breakouts
while
students
“Think”
1 min
4 min
No matter where you are in time and space, I want you to think
about [topic X] or answer the following [question Y]. Write down
your ideas for one minute only.
• If you’re in the room, turn to a (distant) neighbor and
share what you wrote.
• If you’re on the videoconference, I’ll put you in breakout
groups of 2 or 3.
• If you’re watching the recording, press pause and
participate in the Think-Pair-Share discussion forum. Then
come back and press play. I’ll summarize the ideas of the
people who are live.
Activity 1 -
Pair
Bring
students back
Share
5 min
2 min
3 min
Students work in
breakout groups
via videoconf
Students work in
discussion forum**
See Notes on next page.
HyFlex Course Design Example
Source: Kevin Kelly at https://philonedtech.com/covid-19-planning-for-fall-2020-a-closer-look-at-hybrid-
flexible-course-design/
*NOTES re in-person students: With in-person students wearing face masks and distancing
from each other by 6 feet or more, “Pair” activities may work better using chat and/or breakout
rooms in the videoconference platform. Another strategy is Carmen Macharaschwili’s Remote
Buddy system. Overall, this activity may pose challenges if students do not have a device or do
not bring a device to class.
**NOTE re asynchronous learners: To provide an equivalent learning experience for
asynchronous learners, the instructor should create calendar entries/reminders to check the
Think-Pair-Share forum and send out a quick announcement with updated poll results
acknowledging changes due to asynchronous submissions.
Polling - 7 to 10 minutes
Activity
Time
estimate
Synchronous
in person
Synchronous
online
Asynchronous online
Instructor
prompt
3 min
We’re going to take a quick poll!
• If you’re in the room or if you’re on the videoconference, use
your computer or mobile device either to visit
pollev.com/12345 or to text KEYWORD to 12345. Then
answer these question(s) based on Mini-lecture 2:
o What?
o Why?
o How?
• If you’re watching the recording, press pause and answer
the same questions. Your answers will be added to the
answers from the students who are with us live today.
Activity 1
Polling
2 min
Students submit
poll answers
Students without
devices pair up*
Students submit
poll answers
Students submit poll
answers
(asynchronously)
Instructor
transition
2-5 min
Instructor describes poll results from students who participate
synchronously.
*NOTE re in-person students: If students do not have a device or do not bring a device to
class, have them take a set of 4 or 5 colored index cards with large printed letters (A, B, C, D, E)
when they enter the classroom. They can find a volunteer “tech scribe” and sit in the adjacent
seat 6 feet to the left or right of him/her. When it’s time to submit answers they can hold up their
response and someone can enter it for them.
HyFlex Course Design Example
Source: Kevin Kelly at https://philonedtech.com/covid-19-planning-for-fall-2020-a-closer-look-at-hybrid-
flexible-course-design/
QuickWrite - 12 minutes
Activity
Time
estimate
Synchronous
in person
Synchronous
online
Asynchronous
online
Activity 3 -
Instructor
prompt
3 min
We’re going to do a “Quick Write” activity. Before I start the mini-
lecture about XYZ, I want you to share what you know about it and
any connections to your lives.
• If you’re in the room, use your laptop or mobile device to
visit the Google form: tiny.cc/quickwrite. If you do not have
a device, pair up with a neighbor who can be a “technology
scribe” by entering both of your ideas at the same time.
• If you’re on the videoconference, I will put the link to the
Google form in the chat for you to click -- tiny.cc/quickwrite
• If you’re watching the recording, please press pause and go
to this Google form -- tiny.cc/quickwrite
Once you have reached the form, share two lists 1) anything you
already know about the topic and 2) any connections you see
between the topic and your identity, background or culture.
Activity 3
Quick Write
5 min
Students in the room
enter Quick Write
responses in real-
time
Students without
devices pair up
Students online
enter Quick Write
responses in real-
time
Students submit
Quick Write
responses
asynchronously
Activity 3 -
Instructor
summary
4 min
Instructor pulls up the results and comments on background
knowledge and connections to students’ lives. Instructor commits
to revisiting and sharing the results in a mid-week announcement
after asynchronous students submit.