HyFlex Course Design in Community Colleges: Instructors’ Challenges, Strategies, and Supports

This study investigates community college instructors’ experiences with teaching Hybrid flexible (HyFlex) courses. Using a multiple methods approach, the study seeks to determine the challenges that the HyFlex modality presents to community college instructors and the strategies, technologies, and supports that they find most beneficial in mitigating these challenges. Twenty-two instructors teaching at five community colleges completed an electronic survey, and six of these instructors participated in a semi-structured interview. Analysis revealed that community college instructors face challenges in facilitating communication between students attending HyFlex classes in different modalities, engaging online students, managing technology, and managing instruction in two or more modalities simultaneously. They meet these challenges with a variety of instructional technologies and strategies, including trial and error and their colleagues’ support, but would like more access to technical support, training in HyFlex strategies, and consistent institutional policies for managing HyFlex courses. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.