The college of LSA has always embraced innovation as part of its educational mission to create the best possible learning experience for students. While the college remains committed to the transformative power of a residential education, the rapid advancements in technology and the lessons learned from remote teaching have introduced new innovative teaching methods. It is with this desire to innovate that the college explores dynamic course modalities that will allow our students to meet academic standards while being responsive to evolving student needs.
The following course modalities are available to LSA instructors:
In-person
Fully in-person courses are designed for face-to-face on campus instruction. Instructors who teach in-person courses are permitted to conduct up to 10% of overall class meetings online. These online class meetings can provide flexibility during inclement weather or other times of the semester when it may be necessary to meet off campus. Instructors may also consider scheduling asynchronous learning or off site learning where possible to promote more active learning.
HyFlex
HyFlex is a course modality that gives students the option to attend class sessions in-person or remotely each day. This modality gets its name from the high levels of flexibility it provides to students. Students are able to choose whether they will attend live, synchronous class sessions remotely or in person. They can make this selection on a class by class basis, or the instructor can require that students choose one modality for the duration of the term. Regardless of how many students choose to attend remotely or in person, your classroom space must be large enough for all enrolled students to attend in person.
Blended
Blended courses offer both in person and online synchronous class sessions. These class sessions are organized and laid out for students in advance (class maintains a consistent pattern of in-person and online class meetings). No approval is required to teach a blended course as long as the online course meetings do not exceed 50% of the overall class meetings and all online course meetings are synchronous.
Online Synchronous
A fully online synchronous course is where 100% of class meetings are online. The class meetings are taught live, but the instructor and students meet remotely. This course modality must be approved by the curriculum committee if the course is 3 or more credits. Mini courses do not require approval to be taught fully online.
Online Asynchronous
Fully online asynchronous courses are where students take 100% of the course online at their own pace and without regular class meetings with their instructor and other students. Teaching an online asynchronous course requires permission from the curriculum committee. The committee will be looking for a strong student centered reason to offer a course asynchronously.
It is highly recommended that instructors interested in teaching an online asynchronous course work with a Learning and Teaching Consultant to ensure the proposed course design provides ample opportunities for students to engage substantively with you and their fellow students throughout the course. You can find more information about the guidelines for substantive communication in online courses on our website.
The above summary of approval guidelines is in reference to FA/WN term only. See full document for Term III guidelines.
Evaluating Course Modality
There are two guideposts instructors can reference when making choices around course modality. The first is that the college values synchronous learning. Synchronous learning provides students with networking and social emotional learning opportunities. The collaborative nature of synchronous learning gives students the opportunity to engage in active learning. Synchronous sessions also provide increased touch points between students and the instructor and students and their peers making it a more student-centered, supportive learning modality.
The second guiding principle in selecting teaching modalities is the college’s commitment to innovative pedagogy and active learning. The college has invested in innovative classroom spaces, like the team-based learning classrooms and the classroom in the round in an effort to support active learning pedagogy. Faculty committed to making their course more active may consider modalities that foster hands-on, collaborative learning. Course modality can also help instructors innovate creative solutions to instructional challenges. For instance, if lecture attendance has continued to decline since students’ return from emergency remote learning, offering alternative course modalities could help. Below are examples of potential rationales for changing course modality.
In a face-to-face film course, an instructor wants to provide students with an opportunity for students to network with members of the disciplinary community. The instructor decides to replace two class sessions with live film screenings taking place on campus.
In a large course taught in a traditional lecture hall, where it is difficult for students to work together with their assigned group members due to space restrictions, the instructor opts for a blended approach. Lecture remains in person in the lecture hall, while class sessions that necessitate students to collaborate in small groups are moved online. This makes it easier for students to engage in problem based learning with their peers.
An instructor is concerned that their summer course will interfere with summer internship opportunities. In an effort to be student centered, the instructor redesigns their course to be fully online.
Prioritizing student learning is essential when selecting the best course modality. If a new approach can foster a more supportive and engaging learning environment, it may be worth exploring. If you are interested in talking through the available course modality options, please contact LSA Learning and Teaching Consulting.
References:
Course Modalities, U-M Academic Technology
https://academictechnology.umich.edu/instructional-resources/course-modalities
Flow Chart on Course Modalities:
Flow Chart on Approval Process for Course Modalities (Fall and Winter)
FlowChart on Approval Process for Course Modalities (Term III)
Gateway info: CourseModalities
Substantive Interaction, LSA Technology Services
Term III 2025 Approval Request Form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfl1DaVQnqpbOYvJ7X78iZAdlSi8ScDzykUJUGzQVPQHFV02w/viewform
UGED Curriculum Resources Website
https://sites.google.com/umich.edu/lsa-uged-curriculum-resources/guidance-and-policies
U-M Office of the Registrar Curriculum Department
https://ro.umich.edu/faculty-staff/curriculum
