MODALITIES OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

We’ve reached a moment in higher education where we have multiple teaching modalities. This page simplifies and outlines the various learning modes at CSUN in attempts to reduce confusion. When CSUN needed to pivot to offer all courses online, a temporary course designations taxonomy was created to reflect the varied options.

As we discuss the terminology, benefits and considerations of each format, it is advised to consider the format that best meets the course and student needs.

There are many ways to classify the different teaching and learning modalities. They generally fall into these categories:

Traditional In-Person
Online Modalities
Hybrid/Blended
Online Course Designations at CSUN

1. Traditional In-Person Modality

You are likely familiar with this traditional mode; students attend classes at a regularly scheduled time on campus . Instructors deliver course content and facilitate all learning experiences primarily in a face-to-face format through lectures, activities, discussions, labs, exams, etc. Some benefits: real-time engagement in person; easier to build community and relationships.

📌At CSUN we used this course designation to reflect this modality:

Traditional Class: Set meeting times; all or most of the class sessions take place on-campus. Web-based tools are often used to enhance traditional courses.

Discover how this modality compares to others in the table below.

2. Online Modalities

Online teaching and learning is the process of designing and delivering instruction via the Internet only. Online instruction includes real-time (synchronous) and anytime (asynchronous) interactions (details below). Some benefits: does not require students to physically be on campus; allows flexibility for students.

Online Asynchronous

Typically, online courses in higher education were traditionally designed asynchronously. There are no required real-time scheduled meeting times in this modality. Instead, students learn content and engage in learning activities and assignments using Canvas and other instructional technology tools.

Some benefits: students have ultimate flexibility in managing their time and space for learning; increased ability to process content and think through responses (especially those with disabilities, second language speakers); more flexibility to manage possible inequitable access to resources including computers, reliable bandwidth, and a physical space conducive for learning.

📌At CSUN we used this course designation to reflect this modality:

Fully Online and Asynchronous (FOA): No set meeting time; no on-campus meetings

Discover how this modality compares to others in the table below.

Online Synchronous

The 2020-21 pandemic increased the need to find authentic ways to learn online while maintaining some synchronous meetings. For this modality, there are scheduled meeting times using web-conferencing software (e.g., Zoom) where the instructor invites students to learn and engage in the course content. The instructor may also rely heavily on Canvas to facilitate learning experiences. This modality requires specific technology requirements such as access to a device and reliable Wi-Fi.

Some benefits of this format: it is a familiar and comfortable modality closest to traditional in-person instruction; it helps with the immediacy of student-instructor and student-student interactions; it offers more opportunities to develop a stronger sense of community and belonging.

📌At CSUN we used this course designation to reflect this modality:

Fully Online and Synchronous (FOS): Set meetings times when students are expected to be online; no on-campus meetings
Fully Online and Intermittent (FOI): Some set meeting times when students are expected to be online; no on-campus meetings

Discover how this modality compares to others in the table below.

3. Hybrid/Blended Modalities

Sometimes it makes sense to offer a course to students in a way that blends synchronous, asynchronous and physical on-campus learning experiences. This may depend on the curriculum, the students and the instructor’s experience level with online teaching. Hybrid/blended teaching and learning can be a learner-centered approach that strategically integrates key benefits previously mentioned such as offering increased autonomy for students over the use of the time, place, path, or pace of the learning process.

📌CSUN has numerous course designations that blends the different modalities when campus meetings are expected such as:

Campus Online and Asynchronous (COA): No set meeting time; a few face-to-face campus meetings.
Online and Synchronous (COS): Set meeting times when students are expected to be online; a few face-to-face campus meetings.
Online and Intermittent (COI): Some set meeting times when students are expected to be online; a few face-to-face campus meetings.
Half Online (OH): Some set meeting times; class typically meets approximately half on-campus and half in an online environment.

Other Hybrid/Blended approaches:

Flipped Classroom

This is a blended/hybrid modality where students first learn asynchronously and then meet synchronously together (either on campus or on Zoom). The pedagogical aim with this approach is that when students first gain exposure to learning prior to class by doing the textbook readings, watching lecture videos, listening to podcasts, then class time can be maximized to practice and deepen their learning.

Research points to many cognitive benefits for using flipped classrooms, especially when it is combined with activities intentionally designed to develop students' metacognitive skills e.g., How People Learn (2018)

You can learn more about the steps involved in using this mode of teaching in this LinkedIn Learning course on Flipping the Classroom

HyFlex

HyFlex is a mash-up of the words "Hybrid" and "Flexible" and is used to describe a course that is taught from a traditional classroom equipped with the technology needed to engage with students who are present in the room, synchronously online, or accessing the session asynchronously online. In other words, it is a hybrid of different delivery modalities (and can combine just two or do all three).

The flexible part of HyFlex can also vary and can range from offering students maximum flexibility to "attend" class in any of the delivery modalities at any point, to allowing only occasionally switching of modalities, to assigning students to a particular modality for the semester.

For more information, visit the HyFlex Teaching Toolkit. Or sign up for the Get up to Speed with HyFlex Teaching self-paced, asynchronous course.

4. Online Course Designations at CSUN

This section summarizes the 2020- 2021 course designations on our campus and some considerations about planning to teach any of these formats.

While the type of modality should always be decided in consultation with your department and college, it is a good idea to choose the format based on the material being taught and the teaching strategies you plan to use. This is because it takes logistical coordination to gather students and instructors in one place.

If you are planning on holding a few or some course sessions on campus (COS, COA and COI designations), consider how you will use these sessions. For example, these on-campus sessions may be opportunities to hold orientations, exams and/or presentations in the classroom.

In hybrid and traditional courses, you can still consider technology enhanced possibilities. You can provide resources and use online activities and assessments to extend the classroom beyond your meeting times.

Below is a summary of the course designations.
Course Designation	On Campus Meetings?	Set Meeting Time?
Fully Online and Asynchronous (FOA)	None	No
Fully Online and Synchronous (FOS)	None	Yes
Fully Online and Intermittent (FOI)	None	Some
Campus Online and Asynchronous (COA)	A few	No
Online and Synchronous (COS)	A few	Yes
Online and Intermittent (COI)	A few	Some
Half Online (OH)	About half-time	Some
Traditional Class	All/most	Yes

👉🏽 To Recap:

Fully Online Class Types Fully Online and Asynchronous (FOA): No set meeting time; no on-campus meetings.
Fully Online and Synchronous (FOS): Set meetings times when students are expected to be online; no on-campus meetings.
Fully Online and Intermittent (FOI): Some set meeting times when students are expected to be online; no on-campus meetings.
Campus Online/Hybrid Class Types Campus Online and Asynchronous (COA): No set meeting time; a few face-to-face meetings.
Online and Synchronous (COS): Set meeting times when students are expected to be online; a few face-to-face meetings.
Online and Intermittent (COI): Some set meeting times when students are expected to be online; a few face-to-face meetings.
Half Online (OH): Some set meeting times; class typically meets approximately half on-campus and half in an online environment.
Traditional Class: Set meeting times; all or most of the class sessions take place on-campus. Web-based tools are often used to enhance traditional courses.

For more information, visit the CSUN Online Course Designation page.