Course Modalities

Course Modalities

MSMC defines course modalities in the following ways:

Traditional Course:

• All instructional time is planned for in-person delivery in a classroom or lab environment.
• Though eClass or other tools may be used to enhance a course, these courses are not considered “hybrid” or “online” because student contact time is not replaced by online components (asynchronous or synchronous).
• eClass should still be used to communicate with students (announcements), to post grades (gradebook), and provide students with basic information (course syllabus, instructor contact info, etc.).

» Teaching a traditional course? eClass Basics, a foundational training for faculty, is required for new faculty and optional for existing faculty as a refresher.

Hybrid Course: 

• Requires a combination of both face-to-face and online (synchronous or asynchronous) learning.
• May require only a few in-person sessions with most instruction occurring online. Likewise, they may include weekly on-campus meetings and only a few online requirements.
• Online activities, assignments, and resources are offered through eClass and/or synchronously through Zoom.

» Teaching a hybrid course? Certification, which is achieved through participating in The Training to Teach Online (TTOL), is required to teach hybrid courses at MSMC. Faculty are expected to maintain this certification, as long as they continue to teach hybrid or online courses. A re-certification will be due every 3 years.

Fully Online Course:

• All aspects of the course are delivered in an asynchronous online environment.
• These courses are conducted completely online with no set meeting times. Instructors provide recorded lectures, readings, and/or videos for review. Students typically participate regularly in discussion forums, writing projects and/or online group work with their classmates. Online activities, assignments, and resources are exclusively offered through eClass. Synchronous Zoom sessions may be held as optional, but attendance should not be required. Synchronous meetings can be recorded and posted on eClass for students who may not be able to attend live.

» Teaching an online course? Certification, which is achieved through participating inThe Training to Teach Online (TTOL), is required to teach fully online courses at MSMC. Faculty are expected to maintain this certification, as long as they continue to teach hybrid or online courses. A re-certification will be due every 3 years.