Research

Flex (multimodal) delivery is a general approach that is done via different formats and applies various teaching techniques.

Blend-Sync and HyFlex are two of the most common formats.

Resources

7 Things You Should Know About the HyFlex Course Model Educause Learning Initiative

BlendSync Handbook

HyFlex Course Design: Implementing Student-directed Hybrid Classes Dr. Brian Beatty

HyFlex Teaching (video) ITen With Ken interview with Jenni Hayman, Cambrian College

Staying Relevant: The Importance of Incorporating HyFlex Learning into Higher Education Strategy Educause Review, Jodie Penrod, Friday, March 25, 2022

Guiding the Planning, Design and Use of Active Learning Classrooms
Gavan Watson and Natasha Kenny
November 7, 2021 
Retrieved from: https://www.gavan.ca/academia/teaching/guiding-the-planning-design-and-use-of-active-learning-classrooms/

A succinct overview of what active learning classrooms are, how they differ from traditional classrooms, and how they represent a higher education institution’s philosophy of teaching and learning.

“Traditional classrooms have been defined by their fixity…built, pedagogically speaking, for the direct transmission of knowledge through techniques like lecturing.”

“Interactivity, between classroom peers, between students and course material and between the instructor and students, is a focus of Active Learning Classrooms.”

“Classrooms can be viewed as one of the most important artifacts that communicate the teaching and learning approaches that are most valued within our institutions: they represent an institution’s philosophy of teaching and learning.”

Five approaches to guide the planning, design, and use of active learning classroom spaces
Gavan Watson and Natasha Kenny
November 7, 2021
Retrieved from: https://natashakenny.ca/2021/11/07/five-approaches-to-guide-the-planning-design-and-use-of-active-learning-classroom-spaces/

Expanding on work done by researchers such as Adam Finkelstein and Laura Winer from McGill University, the authors propose five approaches for guiding the planning, design, and use of learning spaces in postsecondary education: 1) Collaboration 2) Community 3) Flexibility 4) Transparency 5) Access.

The Room Itself Is Active: How Classroom Design Impacts Student Engagement 
Melissa L. Rands and Ann M. Ganswemer-Topf
Journal of Learning Spaces, 2017, Volume 6 (1).
Retrieved from: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1048&context=edu_pubs

A responsive case study evaluation approach utilizing interviews and focus groups collected student and faculty perspectives on examined how instructors and students utilized a newly redesigned active learning space at Iowa State University and the relationship of this design with environmental and behavioral factors of student engagement. The findings demonstrate how classroom design affords engagement through low-cost learning tools and a flexible, open, student-centered space afforded a variety of active learning strategies. In addition, this case study highlights the importance of conducting assessment on classroom redesign initiatives to justify and improve future classroom spaces.

Transformation of Classroom Spaces: Traditional Versus Active Learning Classroom in Colleges
Elisa L. Park and Beum Choi
Higher Education, 2014, Volume 68 (5), pp 749–771.
Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-014-9742-0

Educational environment influences students’ learning attitudes, and the classroom conveys the educational philosophy. The traditional college classroom design is based on the educational space that first appeared in medieval universities. Since then classrooms have not changed except in their size. In an attempt to develop a different perspective of educational environment, a new design of classroom, the active learning classroom (ALC), was established at SoongSil University in Korea. Two questionnaire surveys were conducted for diagnosing the educational effects of students’ learning in the ALC and comparing the results with those obtained regarding the traditional classroom. The result proved the existence of a ‘golden zone’ and a ‘shadow zone’ in the traditional classroom, which discriminate students’ learning experiences depending on seating posi-tions. On the contrary, the ALC did not produce such positional discrimination. Students perceived the ALC environment as more inspirational, especially in regards to active class participation. Students with more emphasis on academic achievement showed greater tendency to share information and to create new ideas in the ALC. However, in the traditional classroom setting, only students with high GPAs were more motivated to learn while the gap in learning attitudes was offset in the ALC setting. In-depth discussions about research findings were undertaken and four suggestions were provided in support of school administrators and relevant institutional personnel, faculty members, and researchers for future utilization of the ALC.

History and Evolution of Active Learning Spaces
Robert J. Beichner
New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 2014, Volume 137, pp 9 – 16.
Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1002/tl.20081

This chapter examines active learning spaces as they have developed over the years. Consistently well-designed classrooms can facilitate active learning even though the details of implementing pedagogies may differ.

Using Qualitative Research to Assess Teaching and Learning in Technology-Infused TILE Classrooms
Sam Van Horne, Cecilia Titiek Murniati, Kem Saichaie, Maggie Jesse, Jean C. Florman, Beth F. Ingram
New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 2014, Volume 137, pp 17 – 26.
Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1002/tl.20082

This chapter describes the results of an assessment project whose purpose was to improve the faculty-development program for instructors who teach in technology-infused TILE (Transform, Interact, Learn, Engage) classrooms at the University of Iowa. Qualitative research methods were critical for (1) learning about how students and instructors interacted in these new learning spaces and (2) improving faculty development to ensure that instructors could design and implement effective learning activities in the TILE environment.

Active Learning Classrooms and Educational Alliances: Changing Relationships to Improve Learning
Paul Baepler, J. D. Walker
New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 2014, Volume 137, pp 27-40.
Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1002/tl.20083

This chapter explores the “educational alliance” among students and between students and instructors. We contend that this is a framework that can help us understand how active learning classrooms facilitate positive educational outcomes.

The Impact of Classroom Design on Pupils’ Learning: Final Results of a Holistic, Multi-Level Analysis
Peter Barrett, Fay Davies, Yufan Zhang, Lucinda Barrett
Building and Environment, 2015, Volume 89, pp. 118 – 133.
Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132315000700

Assessments have been made of 153 classrooms in 27 schools in order to identify the impact of the physical classroom features on the academic progress of the 3766 pupils who occupied each of those specific spaces.

This study confirms the utility of the naturalness, individuality and stimulation (or more memorably, SIN) conceptual model as a vehicle to organise and study the full range of sensory impacts experienced by an individual occupying a given space. In this particular case the naturalness design principle accounts for around 50% of the impact on learning, with the other two accounting for roughly a quarter each. Within this structure, seven key design parameters have been identified that together explain 16% of the variation in pupils’ academic progress achieved. These are Light, Temperature, Air Quality, Owner-ship, Flexibility, Complexity and Colour. The muted impact of the whole-building level of analysis provides some support for the importance of “inside-out design”.

The identification of the impact of the built environment factors on learning progress is a major new finding for schools’ research, but also suggests that the scale of the impact of building design on human performance and wellbeing in general, can be isolated and that it is non-trivial. It is argued that it makes sense to capitalise on this promising progress and to further develop these concepts and techniques.