ABERDEEN, S.D. – Dr. Benjamin Harley, director of Northern State University’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, was part of a panel discussion with the national publication The Chronicle of Higher Education on Thursday April 21, 2022.
The panel, which focused on reconnecting students to learning, included discussion of Harley’s recent scholarship on critical thinking as well as Northern’s upcoming HyFlex Pedagogy Graduate Certificate.
This graduate certificate is a three-course sequence providing expertise in the theory and application of HyFlex pedagogies in secondary and higher education.
Hybrid Flexible (HyFlex) teaching and learning is a student-centered delivery mode that integrates face-to-face synchronous, online synchronous and online asynchronous modes in one course. HyFlex pedagogy is an emerging field of scholarship, and Northern is a leader in developing best practices for it.
Students who complete Northern’s course sequence will earn a graduate certificate in HyFlex Pedagogy from Northern and a HyFlex Instructor certificate from Northern’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.
“These certification programs will empower teachers across the country, and specifically in South Dakota, to design more accessible classes in which students get to choose how to attend based on their lives, their schedules and their learning styles,” said Harley. “I mean, how many students struggle in courses, fail courses, or simply choose not to attend college because they can’t make classes work with their schedules? HyFlex helps to alleviate these barriers to education.”
NSU will start offering the HyFlex Pedagogy Graduate Certificate this fall, pending final approval by the South Dakota Board of Regents. For more information, visit NSU Graduate Studies.
About Northern State University
Northern State University is a student-centered institution that provides an outstanding educational experience, preparing students through the liberal arts and professional education for their future endeavors. A regional university, Northern offers rigorous academics; diverse civic, social and cultural opportunities; and a commitment to building an inclusive environment for all points of view. Northern also offers a broad-based athletics program, sponsoring 15 NCAA Division II intercollegiate varsity sports that compete in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NSIC). The university strives to enrich the community through partnerships such as its Educational Impact Campaign, which opened a new South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired; new athletic and recreation fields; and an on-campus regional sports complex. With the $55 million campaign, NSU has been the recipient of more than $150 million in privately funded building projects and scholarships within a decade. To learn more, visit NSU Admissions.