Neuro (njʊərəʊ) (prefix) relating to the concept of neurodiversity, which values the diversity of human neurocognition
Flexification (flɛksɪfɪkeɪʃən) (noun) Embedding flexible options
Hybrid delivery on the MA Autism
We have just completed an evaluation of our teaching and learning here at the Sheffield Hallam Autism Centre, and I am wondering if “neuroflexification” – a new word we have coined – captures the approach we want to take.
For the evaluation, we collaborated with staff, students and the Digital Learning Team to trial improvements to our hybrid delivery using currently available technology. The project focused on developing our learning community, notably among our online and in-person students, which is especially important as a significant proportion of our students are neurodivergent, notably autistic. We recognise that the content of our courses is deeply personal for many students and our goal is to create a supportive, inclusive environment that meets the diverse needs of our student body.
Our current hybrid delivery is essential for many students as a reasonable adjustment, but it’s not without its challenges. Communication barriers persist: online students struggle to hear in-person peers, and those in the classroom often can’t see or interact with online students. Technology glitches further complicate matters. Lecturers have to juggle multiple roles such as relaying questions, reading chat messages, and troubleshooting IT issues. While hybrid learning is vital for inclusivity, these technical hurdles take time away from meaningful engagement and quality pedagogy.
Together we evaluated the introduction of different hardware and software, underpinned by the principles of Universal Design for Learning. These are: providing multiple means of engagement, representation and expressions of knowledge; and Hyflex (Hybrid Flexible) environments to develop equivalency of experiences, particularly between online and in person students, reusability of material in different participation modes, accessibility and learner choice of participation mode (in-person, online, synchronous or asynchronous).
Many students told us that they would not have been able to access the course without the option of joining online. In the word of one of our students: “being able to attend in person is a privilege that not everyone has”. Students really appreciated having the opportunity to be involved in how our module was delivered and our module evaluation reflects this.
Towards ‘neuroflexification’
What’s next? We will continue to gather feedback to refine engagement options and build a strong learning community. One of the ways we can develop how we manage our hybrid classroom and personal and challenging discussions is to develop a student charter together at the start of the course.
The available technology does not currently create an effective hybrid classroom, so we will look for equipment that better captures our group discussions for both in-person and online students. To avoid unnecessary stress for staff and students by having to troubleshoot IT issues in class, we will develop/request/ share how-to guides for using video conferencing tools, breakout rooms, and platforms like Padlet. Some issues related to the online students’ Wi-Fi connection and therefore we will inform students early that reliable Wi-Fi is necessary for successful online participation. Some issues related to poor WiFi connection in the classroom, so we also need to make sure our teaching rooms have a stable WiFi connection.
Most students told us that they prefer in-person teaching but for a range of reasons – including the sensory environment of the classroom – could not attend. Improving our in-person environment should therefore not be overlooked and should be modified to meet sensory needs and create a more inclusive space.
All participants accessed recordings of the lectures and appreciated that this enabled them to revisit, process, catch up and recap when necessary. We will continue to do this and agree how we manage confidentiality when recording group discussions within our student charter.
Some students were unable to contribute to in-class discussions for a variety of reasons so we will continue to make contributions optional and to develop and provide opportunities to contribute to discussions asynchronously. We will also seek to embed structured ways to contribute to in-class discussions verbally or in writing.
Many students really appreciated working with others, whereas other students had a strong preference for working individually. We will therefore continue to provide the choice to engage in active learning in small groups or individually as standard.
Overall, different students have different needs and sometimes these conflict (one student needing the lights bright and another needing the lights dim for sensory reasons as an example). We won’t be able to meet everyone’s needs all the time, but we can continue to embed flexible options and agree ways forward together with our students. With a bit of “neuroflexification”, we can hopefully move in the right direction.
Caroline Lear is a Senior Lecturer in Autism at the Sheffield Institute of Education
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