BeaconFlex Expands the Classroom–Hybrid Teaching & Learning in the COVID-19 Era
Whoever first said that “Necessity is the mother of invention” would no doubt have been very impressed by HyFlex. Developed on the West Coast after the COVID-19 pandemic created the need for innovative teaching and learning systems, HyFlex is a flexible instructional modality that allows faculty to teach an in-person class to students on campus while simultaneously streaming the same content via Zoom or a similar application to students off-campus. It’s been enthusiastically received since its introduction at UMass Boston, where it has been affectionately named “BeaconFlex” by the chancellor. Fifteen classes were selected by the Provost’s Office to be taught in this modality for the Fall 2021 semester.
During the Spring 2021 semester, BeaconFlex was pilot tested in two classrooms in University Hall. Faculty member Helen Poynton, an Associate Professor in the School for the Environment and pilot participant, responded to a survey by writing, “in terms of what worked well, it did feel like teaching in person! It had that atmosphere which I have missed a lot. I also felt that it was possible to engage equally with students online through chat and with the students in the class.”
Seeing BeaconFlex in action, one can’t help but be amazed by the technology and see what an ingenious innovation it really is. The classroom equipment includes tracking cameras which follow the instructor around the room, different types of microphones which pick up the students in the classroom, and dual monitors so faculty can simultaneously view the gallery of students attending their class remotely and the materials they are displaying to the class. Document cameras were also installed in the classrooms so faculty could annotate and write notes on a surface they can display to both their remote and in-person students.
“I want to be part of this modality irrespective of COVID-19. It is important to feel that I am providing opportunity for students to participate in class irrespective of their circumstances. ”
Suha Ballout, Assistant Professor in the Department of Nursing
Four classrooms were outfitted for the Fall 2021 semester with the advanced audiovisual technology necessary for BeaconFlex to be utilized. John Jessoe, Director of Classroom Technology and AV Services, and Zack Ronald, Echo360 Administrator and Academic Technology Specialist, installed this equipment with the aid of Jeff Wade, Chief Audio-Visual Engineer. Jessoe and Ronald also built portable units to quickly move the equipment between classrooms.
Faculty members were trained in how to use the classroom technology by Zack Ronald, and how to teach a BeaconFlex class by Rrezarta Hyseni, Senior Instructional Designer. As part of the Spring pilot, Hyseni met with faculty prior to their class sessions to train them in best practices for the modality. A training program was also offered in the Fall 2021 semester, and BeaconFlex classes include regular evaluation by both faculty and students to ensure that students who attend class remotely have a similar experience as those who attend class in person.
Some of the faculty involved in the original Spring pilot were so excited about the program that they have opted to teach using the BeaconFlex modality again. Suha Ballout, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nursing, wrote in a survey saying, “I want to be part of this modality irrespective of COVID-19. It is important to feel that I am providing opportunity for students to participate in class irrespective of their circumstances. Educational equity and diversity of delivery are paramount to our students and to meeting our mission at UMass Boston in light of our focus on restorative justice.”