HyFlex delivery mode of teaching using Microsoft Teams: a two-year pilot study

Abstract

This research presents the findings from a two-year pilot study on the Hybrid Flexible (HyFlex) mode of teaching delivery. This pedagogy was conducted using Microsoft Teams in the School of Engineering, starting in one level 6 module in the first year of the study, then extending this to an additional two level 4 modules in the second year.

The aim was to provide flexible, accessible, and inclusive learning to the widest number of students possible. Teams was used in lecture theatres to simultaneously live stream face-to-face teaching classes online with multi video feeds and live audio transcriptions. Students were given the option to attend in person or participate online synchronously and were encouraged to try both get a balanced opinion.

Teams’ sites were created through the modules’ Canvas sites, which automatically added all enrolled students and staff. Weekly meetings were setup in Teams for the corresponding lectures and tutorial sessions, and a Teams shortcut link was made on the Canvas homepage for quick access. The class notebook was a well-used additional feature that was added to Teams to allow handwritten notes and solutions to be made in OneNote using a Wacom writing tablet. These notes, along with video recordings of the live sessions, were automatically saved in Teams.

A questionnaire containing 17 questions was developed in Microsoft Forms and issued to students at the end of the modules to get a greater insight. The initial feedback from the pilot study first year was very positive. The results, along with Teams user analytics and the Canvas module evaluation survey, indicated that students highly rated their experience of HyFlex delivery mode. The results for this study also include discussions around the limitations and potential downsides of HyFlex, such as audio-visual equipment requirements, and discouragement of student engagement.