Online, In-Person, Hybrid? Yes

Published:: Monday, May 22, 2023

EDUCAUSE Showcase Series | Online, In-Person, or Hybrid? Yes.

The opportunities and needs for technology-enabled learning in higher education have changed drastically over the past three years, as have students’ learning preferences. Done well, a learning-first and multimodal strategy can make possible new, more flexible, and more relevant learning opportunities to attract an increasingly diverse student population.

Changing Practices

Four white paper airplanes flying in a straight line. One red paper airplane flying away at an angle.

Innovative instructors are pulling from the significant changes needed in early-pandemic remote teaching experiences to enrich their current practices and better engage students.

Read “Changed by Our Journey: Adapting Thinking, Mustering Courage, and Putting Heart into Teaching,” EDUCAUSE Review.

Five Teaching Enhancements that worked their magic on remote teaching and learning during the pandemic are continuing to be used to improve the student experience. 1. Collaborative technologies; 2. Student experts; 3. Back channels; 4. Breakout rooms; 5. Supplemental recordings. -Lira Lenze, Chris Gamrat and Ed Glantz, 'Changed by Our Journey: Adapting Thinking, Mustering Courage, and Putting Heart into Teaching," EDUCAUSE Review.

Rebalancing Learning

Students want seamless, engaging learning on a par with their commercial technology-mediated experiences, with a growing preference for online modalities.

Explore 2022 Students and Technology Report: Rebalancing the Student Experience.

ball with a board on it, balanced by a ball on each side of the board. The ball on one side has a board balanced on it with a ball on each side of that board. This continues for many levels of balls and boards.

Course Modality Preferences. Bar chart showing percentage of respondents who prefered each modality in 2020 (before March 11) and in 2022. Completely face-to-face: 35% 2020, 29% 2022. Mostly face-to-face: 30% 2020, 12% 2022. Almost half online and half face-to-face: 20% 2020, 18% 2022. Mostly online: 4% 2020, 9% 2022. Completely online: 5% 2020, 20% 2022. No answer, no preference, or other: 4% 2020, 12% 2022. - 2022 Students and Technology Report: Rebalancing the Student Experience

Blurring Boundaries

Telescope looking at a sky filled with books, papers, pencils, etc.

The increased desire for and adoption of hybrid courses has blurred the lines between online and face-to-face, creating an emphasis on multimodal planning.

Explore the 2023 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report: Teaching and Learning Edition.

'With a cross-modality approach, it's possible to design learning environments that engage students in multiple ways, speak to the needs of diverse groups of students, align with a range of instructional goals, and remove geographic boundaries between learners and experts.' - 2023 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report: Teaching and Learning Edition

Showcase Webinar

If you missed the Showcase Webinar | Online, In-Person, or Hybrid? Yes, you can still access the recording to hear from experts in the community as they explore strategies for optimizing modalities.

Hear from the Community

How the Higher Education Hybrid Journey Is Only Just Getting Started...

The Impact of Digital Learning on Minoritized and Poverty-Affected College Students

On the Right Path: How and Why to Include Student Perspectives in Your Ed Tech Roadmaps

Go Further

Learn from Your Peers

7 Things You Should Know About the HyFlex Course Model
Valerie Irvine, "The Landscape of Merging Modalities," EDUCAUSE Review
Jodie Penrod, “Staying Relevant: The Importance of Incorporating HyFlex Learning into Higher Education Strategy” EDUCAUSE Review

Feed Your Curiosity

Dig Into the Library

Connect with Community Groups

We hope the lessons from this Showcase will help your planning for multimodal teaching and learning. Next up, we’ll explore the complexities of change management and working with stakeholders across the institution to improve enterprise systems; see "SaaS, ERP, and CRM: An Alphabet Soup of Opportunity" launching July 31.