Foundational Access Courses (FACs) are designed to prepare learners to commence in a course of further study in Higher Education (HE). This report presents a scoping snapshot of how content is delivered in foundational access courses in higher education institutions in Ireland and explores opportunities for HyFlex and hybrid modes of delivery.

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This green paper, which has been designed to prompt discussion and facilitate sector-wide discussion and collaboration, is published under the Student Empowerment stream (Stream 1) of the N-TUTORR programme.

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Summary of key findings:

• Current studies investigating HyFlex delivery in HE examine its effect on student-related constructs, and obtain staff/students perceptions on its delivery,
• Most studies framed their work around the Beatty (2014) definition of HyFlex, however upon further examination, few of the investigated delivery modalities offered a high level of student choice,
• HyFlex delivery has no significant impact on student academic performance,
• Students appreciate the flexibility HyFlex provides but ideally would prefer to be able to attend face-to-face,
• Staff training and reliable technology are key for the successful implementation of HyFlex,
• None of the included studies featured HyFlex being implemented in Access courses; the majority pertained to undergraduate courses,
• There is a current research gap on the effectiveness of HyFlex delivery to address barriers Access students may face in engaging in courses face-to-face.