Establishing the relationship between online and HyFlex teaching modalities and students’ learning engagement at University X

Navin Imbova Mackatiani; Eunice Majanga; Benard Amwayi

doi:10.51867/AQSSR.3.4.27

Authors

Navin Imbova Mackatiani Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4427-6389
Eunice Majanga Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2980-3080
Benard Amwayi Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6884-5024

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51867/AQSSR.3.4.27

Keywords:

COVID-19, HyFlex, ICT, Kenya, Online Teaching, Technology Adoption, Teaching Modalities, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the education sector, and many Universities around the world have been forced to implement online and HyFlex instructional approaches to keep education continuing. Although these are ubiquitous, there is a dearth of studies on their impact on student engagement in Kenya's universities, which have different ICT infrastructures. This study seeks to examine the effect of online teaching and HyFlex teaching modalities on the learning engagement of students in a leading public university in Kenya. The research uses a correlational research design, based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), to examine the effect of online and HyFlex teaching methods on students' behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and social involvement. The study was conducted on undergraduate students, lecturers, and academic administrators of University X with a sample size of 312 students, 31 lecturers, and 10 academic administrators. The methods of selecting participants were purposive sampling and Slovin's formula. Questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions were used to gather data, which were analyzed using descriptive statistics for quantitative data and thematic analysis for qualitative data. The results show that HyFlex teaching (a combination of in-person and online delivery) and online teaching are both associated with higher levels of engagement in students, but that HyFlex teaching is associated with higher levels of engagement in all four domains. Technical infrastructure, devices, internet access, and training were identified as having a significant impact on the effectiveness of both teaching modalities. HyFlex teaching, with proper support from ICT equipment and training of the lecturers, is more effective in improving student engagement than online-only teaching, the study findings show. It calls for continued investment in ICT infrastructure and ongoing professional development for lecturers to maximize the effectiveness of online and HyFlex teaching approaches on student engagement and learning outcomes.

References

Ananga, P., & Biney, I. K. (2017). Comparing face-to-face and online teaching and learning in higher education. MIER Journal of Educational Studies Trends and Practices, 7(2), 165-179.

https://doi.org/10.52634/mier/2017/v7/i2/1415

Barr, T., & Luo, T. (2024). HyFlex course design in community colleges: Instructors' challenges, strategies, and supports. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/10668926.2024.2415709

Beatty, B. (2014). Hybrid courses with flexible participation: The HyFlex course design. In L. Kyei-Blankson & E. Ntuli (Eds.), Practical applications and experiences in K-20 blended learning environments (pp. 153-177). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-4912-5.ch011

Beatty, B. J. (2019). Hybrid-flexible course design (1st ed.). EdTech Books. https://edtechbooks.org/hyflex

https://doi.org/10.59668/33

Bowers, J., & Kumar, P. (2015). Students' perceptions of teaching and social presence: A comparative analysis of face-to-face and online learning environments. International Journal of Web-Based Learning and Teaching Technologies, 10(1), 27-44. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJWLTT.2015010103

Czerniewicz, L., Agherdien, N., Badenhorst, J., Belluigi, D., Chambers, T., Chili, M., & Wissing, G. (2022). A wake-up call: Equity, inequality, and COVID-19 emergency remote teaching and learning. Perspectives in Education, 40(1), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.18820/2519593X/pie.v40.i1.1

Davis, F. D. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Quarterly, 13(3), 319-340. https://doi.org/10.2307/249008

Dhawan, S. (2020). Online learning: A panacea in the time of the COVID-19 crisis. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 49(1), 5-22. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047239520934018

Johnson, N., Veletsianos, G., & Seaman, J. (2021). US faculty and administrators' experiences and approaches in the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. Online Learning, 25(1), 6-21. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v25i1.2285

Kahu, E. R., & Nelson, K. (2018). Student engagement in the educational interface: Understanding the mechanisms of student success. Higher Education Research & Development, 37(1), 58-71. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2017.1344197

Kohnke, L., & Moorhouse, B. L. (2021). Adopting HyFlex in higher education in response to COVID-19: Students' perspectives. Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning, 36(3), 231-244. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680513.2021.1906641

Lim, C. P., Yan, H., & Xiong, X. (2015). Development of pre-service teachers' information and communication technology (ICT) in education competencies in a mainland Chinese university. Educational Media International, 52(1), 15-32. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523987.2015.1005425

Means, B., Bakia, M., & Murphy, R. (2014). Learning online: What research tells us about whether, when, and how. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203095959

OECD. (2023). OECD digital education outlook 2023: Towards an effective digital education ecosystem. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/c74f03de-en

Peimani, N., & Kamalipour, H. (2021). Online education and the COVID-19 outbreak: A case study of online teaching during lockdown. Education Sciences, 11(2), 72.

https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11020072

Sahni, J. (2019). Does blended learning enhance student engagement? Evidence from higher education. Journal of e-Learning and Higher Education, 2019, Article 121518. https://doi.org/10.5171/2019.121518

Simeon, A. N., Babatunde, A. A., Abiodun, N. L., Olu, R. O., & Emem, A. I. (2022). Uptake, barriers, and determinants of e-learning among university students in selected low-income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa amidst the COVID-19 disruption: An online survey. Advances in Medical Education and Practice, 13, 609-617. https://doi.org/10.2147/AMEP.S357677

Watermeyer, R., Crick, T., Knight, C., & Goodall, J. (2021). COVID-19 and digital disruption in UK universities: Afflictions and affordances of emergency online migration. Higher Education, 81, 623-641.