Enhancing Student Success in HyFlex Learning: Examining the Role of Experiential Learning and HyFlex Design Principles

Yuxi Vania Shi, Sherrie Komiak, Dharini Suresh Kumar

Purpose: This study examines how experiential learning and HyFlex design principles contribute to student success in higher education. Drawing upon Beatty’s HyFlex framework, the study investigates the relationships among experiential learning, learner choice, equivalency, accessibility, reusability, student satisfaction, and academic self-efficacy.

Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative survey-based experimental design was employed. University students were randomly assigned to evaluate either a traditional in-person learning environment or a HyFlex learning environment. Data from 223 valid responses were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to examine the proposed relationships among the study constructs.

Findings: The results indicate that experiential learning positively influences all four HyFlex design principles. Accessibility and reusability were found to be important predictors of student satisfaction, while accessibility demonstrated a strong positive relationship with academic self-efficacy. Contrary to expectations, learner choice did not significantly influence student satisfaction and exhibited a negative relationship with academic self-efficacy. Students in HyFlex environments reported higher levels of learner choice, accessibility, and reusability than students in traditional in-person learning environments.

Originality/value: This study extends the HyFlex literature by empirically validating Beatty’s design principles within a higher education context and identifying the mechanisms through which experiential learning contributes to student success. The findings highlight the importance of accessibility and reusability in HyFlex course design and suggest that flexibility alone may be insufficient to enhance student outcomes. The study provides practical guidance for educators seeking to develop more effective and engaging HyFlex learning environments.

Innovative Education in Russia: On the Path of Development and Transformation

Aleksandr V. Skazochkin, Nadezhda А. Skazochkina

The article presents the essence and characteristics of innovative education, and also highlights the main elements of the system of teaching innovation creation that has developed in countries leading in innovative education. It lists the reasons why the American innovative education system is difficult to implement in Russia. These include the lack of rights similar to those enjoyed by US universities, the rigid internal hierarchy at Russian universities, which precludes a high degree of organizational initiative by departments, and the weak connection between Russian businesses and the university environment. The integrative approach characteristic of US innovative education, which implies interdisciplinary education and the teaching of the fundamentals of innovative entrepreneurship management, is particularly emphasized. The article also lists elements of the American innovative education system that could be widely adopted, as they would improve the effectiveness of specialist training and would not conflict with the current Russian education system.