IS INNOVATIVE PEDAGOGY THE FUTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION?

NEW CHALLENGES & INNOVATIVE PEDAGOGY

Education should be in constant evolution in order to respond to students’ changing needs and aspirations. Keeping a fresh perspective is key to being able to adapt to new challenges and market trends in order to best prepare students to join the workforce with practical skills that allow them to exceed recruiters’ increasingly demanding expectations in a highly competitive job market. To achieve this dual alignment with both students’ and companies’ expectations, education must evolve by adopting innovative pedagogy through new learning methods and tools.

ADAPTING TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

With a year of lockdowns already behind us, we are looking forward to a brighter future. If we learned one thing from the global pandemic, it is that in-person interactions and intercultural exchange are truly at the heart and soul of the ABSParis educational experience. Social distancing measures in the classroom have created new challenges for educators, but at the American Business School of Paris, we have embraced the opportunity to rethink our pedagogical design and design an innovative hybrid system. The Covid-19 pandemic has normalized remote working and learning and given students a head-start on future innovations in education and business.​​​​​​​

THE HYFLEX MODEL: A STRONG INNOVATIVE PEDAGOGY TREND

As we look forward to the future of education, one innovative pedagogy trend that is steadily gaining traction in higher education is the HyFlex (hybrid flexible) model. Student choice is at the core of this up-and-coming educational model that allows them to “learn from anywhere.” Students are highly independent and free to study synchronously or asynchronously according to their individual needs, goals, and preferences. Lessons are delivered via Livestream and recorded in this hybrid model. Attendance is a thing of the past, and students are free to tune in to each lecture at their convenience.

Commuter students and non-traditional students are some of the biggest proponents of the HyFlex model, which appeals strongly to students who crave flexibility compared to a more traditional education structure. Additionally, the HyFlex model is a student-centered approach that has been proven to lead to high levels of student success, which are comparable to traditional face-to-face sessions.

ABSPARIS TAKES THE PLUNGE

The HyFlex model is increasing in popularity in higher education institutions around the world, and it’s no surprise. Students are hungry for new ways of learning that creatively combine the use of innovative digital tools and more traditional study methods with live, in-person sessions. This creates a rich tapestry of multiple learning approaches that complement face-to-face sessions with digital tools.

At ABSParis, as part of our innovative pedagogy strategy, we are piloting our new, innovative HyFlex model this Fall with a cohort of students joining our Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs in order to offer our students more choice and more opportunities to engage with their professors and classmates on a flexible schedule.