The most striking finding is that HyFlex flexibility does not, as many instructors fear, lead to declining attendance or disengagement. On the contrary, students who needed flexibility tended to use it as a tool to stay current with coursework rather than to disengage entirely, suggesting that choice itself can function as a retention mechanism. More significant, however, is what the research reveals about the true driver of engagement: belonging. Students who felt a strong sense of connection and support remained highly engaged regardless of which modality they chose, while students who felt disconnected showed lower engagement even with maximum freedom. This points to a finding with broad implications: modality is largely secondary to the relational and emotional climate of the course. Instructor presence, defined as timely communication, responsiveness, and visible enthusiasm, consistently emerged as a critical factor in sustaining that climate across all attendance modes.

Key Takeaways for Faculty

• Belonging matters more than modality. Whether you teach in person, online, or in a blended format, students who feel seen and supported engage more deeply. Investing in the relational dimensions of your course, such as check-ins, responsive feedback, community-building activities, may have a greater impact on student success than any structural or technological choice.
• Flexibility can be a retention tool, not a risk. Giving students some agency over how or when they engage does not necessarily lead to avoidance. When students trust that the course structure supports them, flexibility tends to help them stay on track during difficult weeks rather than fall behind.
• Instructor presence is the throughline across all formats. The research consistently identifies faculty visibility, warmth, and timely responsiveness as central to student engagement in every modality studied. How present and approachable you appear to students may be the single most transferable lesson from HyFlex research for any course format.

Read the full article here:

Mahmud, M. M., Teh, J. K. L., & Azizan, S. N. (2026). Hyflex learning and student engagement in higher education: A systematic literature review. Frontiers in Education, 11. 

At its heart, teacher confirmation answers the student’s unspoken question: “Do I matter here?”

Instructors demonstrate willingness to engage by signaling availability, openness, and approachability. For example, inviting questions during class without signaling impatience or posting weekly instructor announcements. Instructors demonstrate recognition by showing awareness of students as individuals. For example, referencing a student’s earlier contribution in class or addressing students by name in discussion replies. Instructors demonstrate acknowledgement by validating student contributions, questions, and efforts. For example, paraphrasing student comments before responding or acknowledging effort even when answers are incomplete. Instructors demonstrate endorsement when they express belief in students’ ability to succeed. For example, framing mistakes as part of learning or statements like “This is a solid start—you’re on the right track”.

Teacher confirmation is especially critical in online and asynchronous environments, where students can easily feel invisible or disconnected. In these contexts, confirmation must be intentional and visible, often through written tone, timely feedback, and structured interaction rather than spontaneous in-class cues.

You are invited to  by April Wright, a doctoral candidate in Communication Studies at West Virginia University, that explores this concept by examining how instructors and students experience teaching behaviors that help students feel seen, heard, and valued in face-to-face and online learning environments.

Check it out here: 

I used a weekly exit ticket in my courses to develop regular connections with every single one of my learners in all of my course modalities. It included a quick less-than-5 minutes reflection on their cognitive, affective, behavioral, and contextual experiences that week. I set aside 30 minutes on Monday mornings to read and comment on each one and learned a lot from my learners about their experiences in my courses and how I could better support them. This regular communication helped to ensure that no student was left behind, and we got to see our conversation mapped out over the course of the semester.

I made a copy of  for each student and shared it with them privately. If I wanted to ensure they saw my response right away, I could mention them in a comment, so they got an email notification. Feel free to copy and adapt.  to see some of the types of responses that students shared that helped me understand their learning experience

If you have large enrollment classes, you might consider objective-type questions in a Google Form that allow you to see summaries in chart form.

The screenshots below show where you can add specific feedback related to a rubric criterion as well as text based feedback for a whole assignment. You can also easily record audio or video-based feedback from within Brightspace.