How do higher education staff understand the terms hybrid, hyflex and blended learning? Choice, modality and uncertainty
Many universities implemented blended and hybrid delivery for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic, and as such, the use of terms that relate to various manifestations and implementations of blended learning has increased significantly by all higher education stakeholders. However, the meanin...
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Association for Learning Technology
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Research in Learning Technology |
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| Online Access: | https://journal.alt.ac.uk/index.php/rlt/article/view/3353/3188 |
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| author | Emily Nordmann Barbora Hronska Jill R.D. MacKay |
| author_facet | Emily Nordmann Barbora Hronska Jill R.D. MacKay |
| author_sort | Emily Nordmann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Many universities implemented blended and hybrid delivery for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic, and as such, the use of terms that relate to various manifestations and implementations of blended learning has increased significantly by all higher education stakeholders. However, the meaning ascribed to these terms is often inconsistent and can lead to confusion, making it difficult to set expectations clearly for both staff and students. This study aimed to investigate how higher education staff understand and use these terms and to identify sources of confusion and barriers to adopting standardised definitions. We surveyed 152 higher education staff and asked them to provide definitions of each term as well as completing a categorisation task. An applied thematic analysis identified two factors that were present across definitions: choice (no choice, student choice and choice not specified) and modality (mixed but separate, dual delivery and mixed not otherwise specified). Our findings reveal significant discrepancies in understanding, particularly regarding hybrid learning, which was often conflated with other modalities and involved definitions where neither choice nor modality was clearly specified. Blended learning was most consistently defined and identified as involving separate online and in-person components with no student choice as to the modality in which they could engage with each component. Hyflex learning, despite being less familiar to many participants, was accurately associated with dual delivery and the maximum student choice. Our results underscore the need for clearer terminology and for all stakeholders to provide maximally descriptive definitions. The use of any broad category term should be accompanied by a specific definition that at minimum describes choice and modality, but where best practice would be to encompass additional information based on existing frameworks. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e62557eddea84fe8867de4ba38603a59 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2156-7077 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Association for Learning Technology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Research in Learning Technology |
| spelling | doaj-art-e62557eddea84fe8867de4ba38603a592025-08-20T03:19:23ZengAssociation for Learning TechnologyResearch in Learning Technology2156-70772025-05-013311310.25304/rlt.v33.33533353How do higher education staff understand the terms hybrid, hyflex and blended learning? Choice, modality and uncertaintyEmily Nordmann0Barbora Hronska1Jill R.D. MacKay2School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, ScotlandSchool of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, ScotlandRoyal (Dick) Veterinary School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, ScotlandMany universities implemented blended and hybrid delivery for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic, and as such, the use of terms that relate to various manifestations and implementations of blended learning has increased significantly by all higher education stakeholders. However, the meaning ascribed to these terms is often inconsistent and can lead to confusion, making it difficult to set expectations clearly for both staff and students. This study aimed to investigate how higher education staff understand and use these terms and to identify sources of confusion and barriers to adopting standardised definitions. We surveyed 152 higher education staff and asked them to provide definitions of each term as well as completing a categorisation task. An applied thematic analysis identified two factors that were present across definitions: choice (no choice, student choice and choice not specified) and modality (mixed but separate, dual delivery and mixed not otherwise specified). Our findings reveal significant discrepancies in understanding, particularly regarding hybrid learning, which was often conflated with other modalities and involved definitions where neither choice nor modality was clearly specified. Blended learning was most consistently defined and identified as involving separate online and in-person components with no student choice as to the modality in which they could engage with each component. Hyflex learning, despite being less familiar to many participants, was accurately associated with dual delivery and the maximum student choice. Our results underscore the need for clearer terminology and for all stakeholders to provide maximally descriptive definitions. The use of any broad category term should be accompanied by a specific definition that at minimum describes choice and modality, but where best practice would be to encompass additional information based on existing frameworks.https://journal.alt.ac.uk/index.php/rlt/article/view/3353/3188hybrid learningblended learninghyflexsynchronous learningasynchronous learningonline learning |
| spellingShingle | Emily Nordmann Barbora Hronska Jill R.D. MacKay How do higher education staff understand the terms hybrid, hyflex and blended learning? Choice, modality and uncertainty Research in Learning Technology hybrid learning blended learning hyflex synchronous learning asynchronous learning online learning |
| title | How do higher education staff understand the terms hybrid, hyflex and blended learning? Choice, modality and uncertainty |
| title_full | How do higher education staff understand the terms hybrid, hyflex and blended learning? Choice, modality and uncertainty |
| title_fullStr | How do higher education staff understand the terms hybrid, hyflex and blended learning? Choice, modality and uncertainty |
| title_full_unstemmed | How do higher education staff understand the terms hybrid, hyflex and blended learning? Choice, modality and uncertainty |
| title_short | How do higher education staff understand the terms hybrid, hyflex and blended learning? Choice, modality and uncertainty |
| title_sort | how do higher education staff understand the terms hybrid hyflex and blended learning choice modality and uncertainty |
| topic | hybrid learning blended learning hyflex synchronous learning asynchronous learning online learning |
| url | https://journal.alt.ac.uk/index.php/rlt/article/view/3353/3188 |
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