Flexible Learning Environments: Minoritized College Students’ Experiences in HyFlex
A dissertation submitted to
the faculty of
San Francisco State University
in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for
the Degree
Doctor of Education
In
Educational Leadership
by
Manuel Ricardo Flores Reyes
San Francisco, California
Summer 2022
Certification of Approval
I certify that I have read Flexible Learning Environments: Minoritized College Students’
Experiences in HyFlex Courses by Manuel Ricardo Flores Reyes,
and that in my opinion this
work meets the criteria for approving a dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirement for the degree Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership at San Francisco State
University.
Brian Beatty,
Ph.D.
Associate
Professor, ELSIT, SFSU
Dissertation Committee Chair
Zahira Merchant,
Ph.D.
Associate Professor, ELSIT, SFSU
Trevor Getz, Ph.D.
Professor, History, SFSU
Abstract
Using agency as a theoretical lens, this phenomenological study aimed to unpack the experiences
of minoritized students in HyFlex courses to determine whether HyFlex learning can be used as a
model for equitable instructional practices in community colleges. Through interviews of 10
participants, this study examined the lived experiences of minoritized college
students in HyFlex
courses in the United States and offered recommendations for community college practitioners.
The term
minoritized in this study was defined by any combination of these criteria: (a)
race/ethnicity, (b) gender, (c) native/first language, and (d) disability. Emergent themes in the
study included Indigenous students, working mothers, and students with disabilities. Most
participants identified flexibility as the most beneficial feature of HyFlex.
For Indigenous
students, HyFlex could be improved by adding a critical or decolonizing element to its
foundation. For working mothers, universal design for learning and flexibility to choose how to
participate in class were the two most beneficial features of HyFlex learning. HyFlex offers
opportunities for students whose life experiences may be constrained by
the specter of disability
whether permanently or temporarily. Participants identified some challenges, such as unreliable
or no internet, lack of culturally relevant and decolonizing
pedagogies and perspectives, and
untrained instructors.
Keywords: HyFlex, minoritized students, college students, flexible learning
environments,
hybrid learning, blended learning, online learning, instructional technology,
instructional design
