We start this module by asking ourselves if the modality of a course matters and, if so, why it matters. In some ways, this question is a trick. Of course, the formats in which we teach will necessarily impact how we teach and how our students learn. But we’re interested in delving into the unspoken assumptions and biases we hold about teaching that we may need to unpack and interrogate. Have we absorbed lessons about teaching in face-to-face, hybrid, hyflex, online, blended (the list can go on!) formats without really thinking about the differences and similarities among them?
One reason why we want to pin down our understanding of modality is because defining our terms (and communicating them with students) is one way to make sure we’re all on the same page and know a bit about what to expect in a course. But are we missing anything with these terms?
What about the role of technology in all of this? Many of the formats we’re discussing are defined by the ways in which they use (or don’t use) certain technologies. Are the technologies enabling us or thwarting us when we move from one format to another?
In the end, perhaps we need to hold space for the tensions in this discussion: how do we pin down definitions and also make space for flexibility and accommodations? How do we accept that teaching online is fundamentally different than teaching face-to-face and also that the two practices may be more alike than we sometimes acknowledge?
