To HyFlex or Not to HyFlex: Observations on Teaching Introduction to Geographic Information Systems in the HyFlex System

Hybrid flexible (HyFlex) course modalities allow students to attend courses face-to-face, online synchronously, or online asynchronously. HyFlex course offerings have increased in the era of COVID-19. Can such varied teaching modalities succeed in introductory geographic information systems (GIS) courses, which are technologically intensive and typically taught in face-to-face computer lab settings? In spring 2023 at Arkansas Tech University, the author taught two sections of Introduction to GIS, one in a face-to-face setting and one via a HyFlex setting. When comparing in-semester surveys, both sections preferred the HyFlex setup due to its flexibility for attendance. When comparing section performance on specific graded quizzes, the HyFlex students performed no worse than face-to-face students. Although the results of this pilot study should not be overgeneralized, these results suggest that additional research will find that introductory GIS courses are indeed appropriate for HyFlex modes of instruction.