HyFlex education, a flexible learning model that allows students to choose between in-person, synchronous online, or asynchronous participation, has evolved as a response to the growing need for adaptability in post-secondary education. HyFlex models offer a unique blend of flexibility that supports diverse student needs and accommodates their various schedules, learning preferences, and geographic locations. This adaptability has proven especially valuable in contexts where students balance academic, professional, and personal responsibilities.

While HyFlex education provides significant benefits in terms of flexibility, several challenges exist that can hinder the learning experience. These challenges include difficulty building community and student social presence development due to inconsistent attendance across different formats, disruptions to the continuity or flow of learning often in relation to technology, added cognitive load on the instructor and the difficulty in maintaining a socio-constructivist approach. HyFlex models, by design, accommodate individual choice; however, this often complicates the creation of a cohesive learning environment, which can impede collaborative, peer-based learning processes essential to socio-constructivist pedagogy.

Our qualitative study, therefore, uses an iterative Design-Based Research approach to explore a potential design solution to previous HyFlex challenges. We are in the preliminary data analysis stage of our third iteration of a revised HyFlex design and testing in a post-secondary setting. Our team developed a unique approach to the HyFlex model that supports both attendance flexibility and socio-constructivist pedagogy while also alleviating instructor cognitive load and many technological impediments. The new structure includes one course that is split into two attendance options that students can freely choose from week to week: online or in-person. This approach has retained the foundational flexibility of HyFlex while mitigating technical and logistical challenges often encountered in hybrid settings. By having all students in the same mode per session, the issues that previously hindered mode-neutral engagement—such as inadequate sound, video quality, and communication interruptions—have been minimized, enhancing seamless interaction. This structure has also reduced the cognitive load on the instructor, as simultaneous mode-switching, which previously led to extensive preparation and in-class multitasking, is no longer required. Consequently, discussion-based and group activities have run more smoothly, fostering effective communication and richer student exchanges unimpeded by technology. One area we are still analyzing is the student experience of community when switching between the two modes in this HyFlex structure.

At this point, our findings indicate that a thoughtfully structured HyFlex model can maintain its flexibility while addressing some of the most pressing challenges, such as fostering a sense of community, reducing instructor cognitive load and ensuring a smooth learning flow. Instructors can facilitate these benefits by encouraging students to establish a routine format early in the course while still allowing for adjustments when necessary. This approach may strengthen the alignment between HyFlex education and socio-constructivist pedagogy, ultimately enhancing student engagement and creating a more connected learning environment.

Keywords: HyFlex, Technology, Education, Design-Based Research, Flexible Learning, Socio-Constructivism, Constructivism, Post-Secondary, Higher Education.