Hyflex Teaching and Learning: An Alternative Modality for Meaningful Engagement and Epistemological Access in South African Higher Education

Thamsanqa Abednigo Ndlovu & Peter Oluwaseun Merisi ORCID iD

Issue: Vol.3  No.6  June  2022  Article 1 pp. 199-211
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2022361  |   Published online 10th June 2022.
© 2022 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Hyflex teaching and learning is relatively a new concept within the South African higher education context. This teaching and learning approach brings to the fore the possibility of combining the existing teaching platforms for maximizing not only physical access to knowledge, but epistemological access, the latter is also described in this paper as meaningful access. The argument in this paper is that access cannot be meaningful until there is room for student engagement in the teaching and learning process, otherwise, all efforts to ensuring access in educational institutions will remain a mere paper fantasy. This paper, therefore, brings to the fore the need for higher education in South Africa to maximize the possibilities being offered by the Hyflex teaching and learning, not only for student engagement but meeting the need and respecting the democratic choices of students in terms of the modalities that work for them the most. Hence, it is argued in this paper that Hyflex learning is not a mere fad, but a choice for effective engagement with an emphasis on the needs of students at the center of all the pedagogic and curriculum choices in higher education.

Keywords: Hyflex teaching and learning, epistemology access, student engagement, higher education, modalities, etc.

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Thamie Ndlovu is currently working at the North West University, South Africa as an Educational Technologist under the Centre for Teaching and Learning. He is a young dynamic leader and academic, self-motivated, incisive, and hardworking individual. Motivated and talented Educational Technologist, with excellent communication skills demonstrated by more than 8 years in Higher Education. With experience in instructional design, curriculum development, educational technologies, helpdesk coordination, providing training and workshops. He holds a Masters degree in Information Systems and Computer Sciences (North West University) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education (Rhodes University) and he is currently studying toward a PhD in Information Systems and Computer Sciences (North West University). His area of interest and research is Technology-Enhanced Teaching and Learning in higher education, Instructional design, Internet of Things and Cybersecurity. Adept at technology integration in teaching and learning, and integration in synchronous, asynchronous, blended/hybrid, online and Hyflex learning environments. Thamie has had an opportunity to present at different conferences locally and internationally. Moreover, I was selected to represent South Africa at the 4th BRICS Young Scientist Forum held in Brazil in 2019, with the themes focusing on Bioeconomy and Cybersecurity. Thamie has co-Authored two published book chapters.

Dr Peter Oluwaseun Merisi is currently an Academic Developer at the Centre for Teaching and Learning, North-West University (NWU), South Africa. He joined NWU as a Postgraduate Research Advising Specialist (a senior lecturer position) in 2021. Before joining the NWU, Dr Merisi had lectured and supervised undergraduate and postgraduate students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and Durban University of Technology (DUT) between 2012 and 2021, and ever since, he has been a great asset in postgraduate supervision, teaching academic literacy, language education and policy, teacher education studies, pre-service teachers’ beliefs, and research teaching. He bagged his doctoral degree in English Education and was a postdoctoral research fellow for two years in the School of Education, University of KwaZulu-Natal. Dr Merisi has published several articles in reputable and accredited international and local journals. Dr Merisi is happily married to Gladys Merisi and the union is blessed with two kids.

Ndlovu T.A. & Merisi P.O., “Hyflex Teaching and Learning: An Alternative Modality for Meaningful Engagement and Epistemological Access in South African Higher Education.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 3, no.6 (2022):199-212.  https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2022361

© 2022 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Publishers. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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