2026 HyFlex Collaborative Conference: Reenvisioning HyFlex through AI and Other Emerging Technologies
Dear Colleagues,
We are pleased to welcome you to the fourth annual HyFlex Collaborative Conference! This year’s theme, “Reenvisioning HyFlex through AI and Other Emerging Technologies,” invites us to look ahead and explore how artificial intelligence, extended reality, adaptive learning systems, and other emerging technologies are reshaping the landscape of hybrid-flexible education.
Our 2026 conference brings together educators, technologists, administrators, and researchers from around the world to share new insights, practices, and research on technology-enhanced HyFlex learning. Throughout the program, you’ll discover how emerging tools can improve accessibility, streamline instructional design and delivery, support faculty workload management, and strengthen engagement and learning outcomes across all participation modes.
This year’s sessions emphasize practical strategies for integrating in-person, synchronous, and asynchronous learning experiences in ways that preserve HyFlex values such as student choice, equivalency, and accessibility while advancing pedagogical innovation. From AI-driven feedback systems and adaptive assessments to GenAI-enhanced engagement and content approaches, and from immersive XR learning spaces to privacy-conscious data practices, you’ll find diverse examples of how innovation can extend and energize HyFlex design.
The HyFlex Collaborative is a multi-dimensional community of educators dedicated to improving access to high-quality, equitable learning through Hybrid-Flexible (HyFlex) environments. HyFlex enables students to choose how they participate, whether in person, virtually, asynchronously, or through a combination of these. This approach empowers each learner to engage in ways that best fit their needs, preferences, and circumstances.
The HyFlex Collaborative remains committed to shaping a future where all learners can participate meaningfully in high-quality education, regardless of modality. This conference continues that mission by providing opportunities to learn from one another, whether you are an experienced HyFlex practitioner, a pioneering researcher, or just beginning your HyFlex journey. Across our presentations, discussions, and networking sessions, we invite you to share your experiences, explore new ideas, and build professional connections that extend beyond institutions, disciplines, and national borders.
Following HyFlex principles, the conference is accessible both live online and asynchronously. Session recordings and resources will remain available through the conference site for several months after the conference closes. Many presentations will also be shared on the HyFlex YouTube channel. A Conference Proceedings collection will be published afterward and available through the HyFlex Learning Community and HyFlex Collaborative websites.
We encourage you to participate fully—attend sessions, engage in discussions, and share what you learn with your local and online communities. Your participation helps strengthen the global conversation about the future of flexible, technology-enhanced learning.
Thank you for joining us for HCC 2026. Together, let’s reenvision HyFlex for a new era of learning.
Dr. Brian Beatty and Dr. Jerusalem Rivera-Wilson
2026 HyFlex Collaborative Conference Committee Chairs
