Course Modalities

There are many modalities of instruction for courses at the University of Michigan. These are the most commonly used and are the ones that display in Wolverine Access for your courses:

  • Online (D) 
    Delivered 100% online in an asynchronous, self-paced format, sometimes with optional live-remote sessions. 
    Wolverine Access Instruction Mode: Distance (D)
  • In-Person (P) 
    Delivered in a live classroom setting in Ann Arbor or another specific location for instance, an online platform such as Zoom.
    Wolverine Access Instruction Mode: In-Person(P)
  • Blended (Mix of Modalities) (M) 
    Hybrid (formerly referred to as Mixed) — All students in the section will attend some class meetings in person and all students will participate in some class meetings remotely. 
    Wolverine Access Instruction Mode: Mixed(M)
  • Hyflex (Multi-Modal Choice) 
    Learners choose one or more modes (online, remote-live, blended, in-person) based on their preferred learning styles and are in a class with others using varying modalities.

Synchronous vs. Asynchronous

  • Synchronous instruction refers to instructors and students gathering at the same time and place and interacting in “real-time”.
  • Asynchronous instruction refers to students accessing materials at their own pace and interacting with each other over long periods with the expectation that responses to interactions happen within a window of time, and not immediately.

Additional Information

Looking for more information on these modalities or additional modalities?