Teaching Modalities

Active Learning

It is important for the learner to be an active participant in their learning. As in other delivery modes, lectures have their place, but it is important for the learner to actively engage with the content and with others.

Learn More in the Delivery Mode Technology Toolkit

Engagement

When a class or cohort meets online, it may be particularly challenging to engage learners and create a welcoming and inclusive environment. An activity that can help create a sense of community from day one involves co-creating norms and agreements around expectations for online engagement, such as deciding if or when turning off a video feed is appropriate and guiding interactions in break-out rooms.

In addition, Integrating Indigenous Pedagogies into Online Learning and Facilitating Online Learning with the 5Rs can help all learners establish respect, find relevance, take responsibility, and contribute to reciprocity and relationship-building.  

The instructor can also model introductions through a positionality statement and provide space and time for learners to introduce themselves whether in smaller break-out rooms or class size-permitting, the whole class. Incorporating images, memes, artifacts (an item available to the learner in their physical space), and sound bites can make for fun and memorable introductions. The Canvas Discussion board can also serve as a space for sharing that can be revisited throughout the course to continue to build connections.  

There are ways that you can help students stay focused on learning and increase overall participation in an online synchronous space.  

• Begin class with a check-in on how everyone is doing (everyone can choose meme to share, put on Zoom filter such as party hat) or a low-stakes activity in a break-out room.
• Use the chat function in Zoom to request questions or contributions such as relevant websites or examples.
• Use polling to gauge interest or choice, make in-the-moment decisions around reviewing or moving on to next concept. 
• Request hand-raise and thumbs up or down tools strategically, for example to support transitions between activities.
• Maximize break-out rooms as opportunities for think-pair or group-share, problem-solving; rotate among groups as you would in a physical space. 

If all components of your course are asynchronous, then the design of activities and choice of instructional strategies will largely determine how and the extent to which learners engage with you and one another. Check out a digital copy through the UBC Library of Darby & Lang’s (2019) Small Teaching Online that provides “small teaching strategies that will positively impact the online classroom.”  

Teaching Online

Teaching online can be a rewarding, exhilarating experience.  With the advent of widespread internet access in the late 1990s, there has been much research conducted about teaching and learning online.  One of the most respected models that came out of this research is the Community of Inquiry (Garrison, Anderson & Archer, 1999). The authors assert that a good quality online learning experience can happen when learners can express themselves online in an authentic way (Social Presence), the instructor is actively involved in the learning process (Teaching presence) and the learner can show their knowledge of the course content (Cognitive presence).  Further information about this model is available on Athabasca University’s COI site. 

Through instructional design and workshops, the Centre for Teaching & Learning can help with all these elements to help ensure a rich learning experience for the student and a rewarding experience for the instructor. Connect with the CTL today for pedagogical support with your online classroom

Assessment

Consider what types of assessment strategies are appropriate and feasible for your context. Incorporating some formative online assessments that allow for multiple attempts and provide automated feedback will support learning and familiarity with the assessment tool and types of questions. Multiple-choice quizzes can serve as effective formative assessment if exams will be delivered in the same format. There are many other ways to gauge progress and provide practice. Laurillard (2021) showcases three in a short video: 

• Creating pre-class automated quizzes to provide useful insight into students’ understanding.  
• Using peer review to support “meaningful tests” to aid learning.
• Blended assessment using video to introduce and feedback on students’ assignments. 

There are also an increasing number of digital assessments that can be used for both formative and summative assessment:

• Open Education Resources, H5P, GitHub,
• iClicker 
• Canvas Quizzes 
• JupyterHub for physics homework  
• Web Work Online Homework System for math and science
• GenAI Assessments 
• Gradescope

Learn More in the Delivery Mode Technology Toolkit

References

Calonge, D. S., Connor, M., Hultberg, P., Shah, M. A., & Aguerrebere, P. M. (2022). Contactless higher education: a SWOT analysis of emergency remote teaching and learning during COVID-19. Journal of Educational Studies and Multidisciplinary Approaches, 2(1).

Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (1999). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education. The internet and higher education, 2(2-3), 87-105.

Flower Darby, & James M. Lang. (2019). Small Teaching Online: Applying Learning Science in Online Classes: Vol. First edition. Jossey-Bass.  

Laurillard, D. (2021). Digital methods of formative assessment that boost learning.  Times Higher Education. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/digital-methods-formative-assessment-boost-learning

[SWOT from Singh et al, 2021]

Hybrid learning, sometimes called blended learning, is about the design of the course. Garrison & Vaughn (2008, p148) define blended learning as “the organic integration of thoughtfully selected and complementary face to face and online approaches.” There are advantages, disadvantages, and ideal uses for synchronous and asynchronous modes of teaching and ways of finding balance between using them. The main question to ask is whether an activity requires or benefits from real-time interactions or whether it requires/benefits independent work or long-term engagement.  

Some decisions regarding a hybrid course will evolve during course design and following constructive alignment and Universal Design for Learning. Additional considerations will include selecting the most effective and user-friendly learning technology tools to support your goals for the course. These could include active learning, community-building, providing feedback, and communication.

A Creative Commons Hybrid Course Design tool from University of Ottawa is available as a resource and a revised version of the Course Delivery Decision Model with an interactive interface from McMaster University (CC-BY-SA 3.0) is also available online.

Learn More in the Delivery Mode Technology Toolkit

References 

Garrison, D. R. & Vaughn, D. (2008). Blended Learning in Higher Education: Framework, Principles, and Guidelines. John Wiley & Sons. San Francisco, CA

Office of Teaching and Learning. Handout 3: Key Effective Practices in Hybrid & Blended Courses, University of Guelph.  https://otl.uoguelph.ca/system/files/Handout%203%20Key%20Effective%20Practices%20in%20Blended%20Hybrid%20Learning%20%20%281%29.pdf

Office of Teaching and Learning. Handout: Delivery and Engagement Modes for Each Course Element, University of Guelph. https://otl.uoguelph.ca/system/files/Handout%202%20Delivery%20and%20Engagement%20Modes%20%281%29.pdf

Singh, J., Steele, K., & Singh, L. (2021). Combining the best of online and face-to-face learning: Hybrid and blended learning approach for COVID-19, post vaccine, & post-pandemic world. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 50(2), 140-171.

The Multi-Access delivery mode allows students flexibility in how they attend scheduled synchronous classes. It can be challenging for the instructor to facilitate both in person and online at the same time but with practice it becomes easier.  The Centre for Teaching & Learning offers Multi-Access “Dry Run” services so an instructor can practice in a no risk environment before class starts.  Contact CTL to arrange. It is also important to be authentic with your learners – unexpected things can happen when teaching multi-access and that is to be expected – learners and professors will work together to get past the unexpected.

This practice supports accessibility and well-being, but it can also lack the structure needed by learners and complicate lesson planning and delivery. Thus, it is helpful to define expectations for Multi-Access delivery.  

Learn More in the Delivery Mode Technology Toolkit