As we head toward a post-pandemic world, colleges and universities are exploring different course delivery combinations to meet safety concerns and student needs. At the institution level, some flexible course options can help maintain instructional continuity and/or low classroom density. At the individual level, flexible courses provide new learning pathways for students who have competing obligations like going to work or caring for children. In particular, students who otherwise would have quit school report that flexible courses allowed them to continue their studies.
Flexible courses take more work and preparation for everyone--students, faculty, staff and administrators alike--to participate, manage and support successfully. As our environment keeps changing and campuses grow their flexible course offerings, the Cal State system will be studying and addressing challenges like learning equity and workload management. The campuses will continue to share how they are handling student, teacher and staff support, and fostering engagement, retention and success.
Flexible courses support teaching and learning across multiple delivery methods at the same time. The combinations of delivery methods differ, based on campus policies and decisions, department and faculty choice of delivery methods, and sometimes the desire to offer students a choice of where and when they learn. Various flexible course delivery combinations are found throughout the Cal State system.
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Flexible courses are new for many faculty, staff and students. To begin preparing yourself for flexible courses, use the resources we have assembled for you.
The Cal State Chancellor’s Office and individual Cal State campuses share a variety of resources to support faculty, staff, students and campus leaders who want to get ready for flexible course teaching, learning or support. NOTE: If a resource refers to HyFlex, but you are not teaching or supporting teaching in three modes, you can still use the resource to get strategies for the teaching modes you do use. As a bonus we include some resources from institutions beyond the Cal State system.
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