Multimodal Models

Designing a successful multimodal course means, at each step of the process, considering what each format does well—structuring the course such that each piece of content, each activity, each interaction uses the most effective delivery method available. But what does that look like in practice? This piece describes three approaches to structuring a multimodal course. In each model, asynchronous and synchronous time complement one another and further module and course objectives. Where the models differ is in the relative importance of asynchronous activities in enabling students to complete synchronous activities and vice versa.

The models we outline below are most impactful when low-level Bloom's taxonomy activities, such as studying vocabularies or building understanding of concepts, are primarily asynchronous, and synchronous time focuses on higher levels of synthesis, analysis, and creation. With that said, one of the benefits of multimodal courses is the opportunity to engage students in multiple ways, so instructors should not shy away from strategies that blend Bloom’s levels or use a different structuring mechanism entirely. For more on Bloom's taxonomy, see the Envision piece Creating Learning Objectives.

This model is probably the most familiar, and indeed, in many disciplines, a complementary course might pass for a “traditional” course. Students complete asynchronous work, such as readings, practice problems or projects, and discussion posts. During synchronous sessions, concepts are clarified and elaborated by the instructor and in conversation with other students via activities or discussions.

• Communication of fundamental concepts, vocabularies, through readings, video, etc.
• Independent learning through completion of practice problems and application projects
• Active engagement with concepts through asynchronous discussion

• Clarification and elaboration of concepts through instructor- and/or student-led activities

This model incorporates the synchronous and asynchronous modes of the course in service of activities. Students develop skills and explore resources asynchronously in preparation for graded problems which they work through together in targeted synchronous sessions. This can be done as frequently or as rarely throughout the term as the instructor prefers.

• Independent development of key knowledge and skills in preparation for specific tasks or projects

• Collaborative completion of a graded application problem
• Emphasis on a concrete deliverable submitted at the end of a session

The cohesive model is not dissimilar to the creative model. In a creatively multimodal course, however, the multimodality is contained within specific assignments or assignment groups (at specifically designated points during the term, students do asynchronous prep work, then come together for synchronous collaboration on a problem). In contrast, in a cohesively multimodal course, this routine becomes a cycle and a foundation of the course, with each iteration of prep-collaborate-create setting the stage for a culminating deliverable that brings together all the work students have done throughout the term. As an example, a cohesively multimodal course might ask students to prepare asynchronously to take on a new case study each week, with the decisions made in live synchronous sessions informing the next week’s asynchronous work and serving as building blocks for a larger strategy document students create as their final project (e.g., the five-year plan of a corporation, an HR plan of a company, a product design, or a museum exhibit, depending on the course topic).

• Introduction to a case study through independent engagement with readings, videos, etc.
• Preliminary task to prepare for more sophisticated work in a synchronous session (e.g., a lower-complexity homework problem or discussion board)
• Final course deliverable synthesizing knowledge gained from cases

• Collaboration in regular synchronous sessions to resolve case studies or problems
• Emphasis on brainstorming, problem-solving, strategizing, etc.