The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning for Student Success (CETLSS) provides professional learning opportunities and resources that assist faculty and instructors in developing high-quality courses and programs that enhance student learning and increase student success. The delivery formats presented in this section provide options for redesigning your course to better align with that delivery format. To assist you in determining the best design for you and your students, it is helpful to first consider the following situational factors:
- Your course: How has your course been designated? Are you online or face-to-face/hybrid? Additionally, are you teaching a large section, lab, seminar, or other type of course that will have implications for how you design your course?
- Your students: What are the characteristics of your learners? Are your learners freshman, undergraduate, graduate? Are they experienced in online learning? How will your course need to adapt to their identities, experiences, and current situations?
- Your expertise: How comfortable and skilled are you in using AsULearn and other technologies? What professional development will you need to help you prepare for your course?
- Your available technologies: For a face-to-face course, is your classroom outfitted with webcams and speakers? For an online course, do you and your students have reliable internet service?
Online (online components only)
Appalachian State University is committed to providing a high-quality, inclusive online education to a diverse student population. Online education at Appalachian State will be equitable, transformative, and engaging, inspiring faculty to foster community and cultivate pedagogically relevant and sustained connections.
Asynchronous
- All course components are delivered online
- No specific meeting times, most flexible option for students
- Course work is completed asynchronously with deadlines throughout the semester
- Requires both faculty and students to have access to reliable internet
- Crucial design questions are
- How can I create a predictable course structure that will promote student success?
- How can I use technology tools to build community, communicate frequently, and engage students with the absence of face-to-face interactions?
Synchronous
- All course components are delivered online. Students work independently for the asynchronous components and participate in regularly scheduled sessions, often in Zoom, for the synchronous components.
- Asynchronous component can involve learning content by viewing lectures and reading articles, participating in online discussions, and participating in group projects
- Synchronous session is not a lecture but provides time for discussion, problem-solving, and higher-level thinking and collaborative activities. Synchronous online time is used to apply course content in ways that can only be accomplished when everyone is together in the same place.
- Requires both faculty and students to have access to reliable internet
- Crucial design questions are
- How can I use our synchronous time to accomplish goals that could not be accomplished asynchronously?
- How can I design shared experiences that are engaging and accessible to students with a variety of needs and interests?
Hybrid (online and in-person components)
Rotating student groups
- Some components of the course are offered virtually and some in person
- Different groups of students rotate “through” the face-to-face classroom on different class days. For example, half (TR) or one-third (MWF) of students attend face-to-face class once a week while others engage in activities online.
- All face-to-face classes and online activities are given in one week are the same so students have comparable experiences
- Face-to face component is not a lecture but provides time for discussion, demonstrations, problem-solving, and higher-level thinking and collaborative activities. Class time is used to apply course content in ways that can only be accomplished when everyone is together in the same place.
- Online component can involve learning content by viewing lectures and reading articles, participating in online discussions, and participating in group projects
- Crucial design questions are
- What will I have students do in class and out of class?
- How can I engage students and make the in-class session productive and meaningful?
Synchronous broadcast
- Most components are offered face-to-face with sessions broadcasted live and recorded
- All students are attending synchronously either in person or viewing the session in real-time remotely. Sessions are recorded for students unable to participate at the designated time.
- A common format is half (TR) or one-third (MWF) of students attend face-to-face class once a week while the other group observes the course remotely. Groups change over the course of the week.
- Sessions are not repeated
- Instructors will need advanced skills with broadcasting and recording technologies
- Crucial design question is
- How can I engage students regardless of whether they are in person or online?
HyFlex
- Course is offered fully online and fully face-to-face. Students have multiple options to choose from to achieve course goals.
- Course experience is student-driven and students select how and when they participate face-to-face and online and what learning activities and assignments will best support their learning
- Requires instructors to develop equivalent assessments, learning activities, and resources for each class day so that mode of instruction does not affect student access to engagement with course material
- Requires advanced course design and technology management skills
- Crucial design question is
- How can I ensure that the experiences of online and f2f students are equitable?
Face-to-face (in-person components only)
- Whole class face-to-face each session
- Crucial design questions are
- What is the best use of class time to accomplish my learning objectives, and what can be accomplished via AsULearn or other technology enhancements?
- Have I designed my course in a flexible, agile way so I can transition to online quickly?