Multimodal courses allow for exciting opportunities in course content and activities but can be, by design, less flexible than asynchronous courses and less predictable than synchronous courses. These opportunities thus come with needs for additional logistical support and flexibility, as students need both to be able to take advantage of the opportunities of synchrony and asynchrony equitably. How can you best support students in a multimodal course, providing guidance through multiple forms of interaction? This piece gives insight into what kinds of support benefit students in multimodal courses and how to provide them. We’ll end with five quick tips for supporting students that apply to almost any multimodal course.
Research suggests that one of the most critical topics students mention as integral to the success of “nontraditional” courses—online, hybrid, hyflex, high-tech, etcetera—is clarity (Prince et al., 2020; Sheridan & Kelly, 2010). Standard courses also benefit from clarity, but many students will be familiar with the expectations associated. Time expectations and balance are also central student concerns; many opt for a multimodal course in part because of the opportunity it offers to balance education with their existing lives and obligations (Margolis et al., 2017). Students, especially adult learners and those who are working or have children or elders to care for, may seek out hybrid or multimodal courses in part because of the combination of independence and support they provide. These courses are not fully asynchronous, so there are touchpoints and milestones to keep a busy learner on track, but have fewer in-person obligations than a “traditional” course (Hall & Villareal, 2015).
One of the best ways to support students and communicate inclusivity, then, begins in the design phase, with creating a clearly structured and well-balanced course. That design commitment should then be bolstered by active facilitation, which is in part about communicating that structure and making sure that the information you’ve laid out is available and accessible to students (Shane-Simpson et al., 2024). Timing and embedding of student support is important—it needs to be offered throughout the student cycle and holistically, including the whole student and the things that impact their lives (Rotar, 2022). Thus, considering how students can be supported from the very beginning of developing your multimodal course design—or from the beginning of program design, if possible—can improve students' success considerably.
In part, clarity is so critical because of the novelty of a hybrid course format to many students, as well as how active students’ engagement must be for them to succeed in a well-designed multimodal course. Be aware of the strain that novelty and active learning can put on a student. Although they are critical for learning and provide inspiration to take the course for many students, the unexpected nature of a new format carries a cognitive load.
Some of the recommendations made in a study by Prince et al. (2020) center on this consideration. First, anticipate students may resist activity because it feels challenging. To combat this, formulate reasonings and supports for the assessments you’ve chosen to include in the course. This will help you move with assurance that your activities are pedagogically necessary or motivated; asking students to rearrange their lives to accommodate the course will feel purposeful and like an investment in their learning, rather than an unnecessary impediment. Reminders and prompts can go a long way towards supporting students in the self-regulation required for a multimodal learning experience and reduce some of this resistance as well.
It’s also wise to move gradually when using new engagement strategies. Consider trying one new thing rather than five new things. You might consider surveying students about modalities available and accessible to them, ensuring you are providing links to sufficient technical support, and making sure synchronous content is stored for students who are unable to attend all synchronous sessions (Mick & Middlebrook, 2015).
Five Ways to Support Students in a Multimodal Course
- Research what types of resources (whether for educational support, financial or food support, emotional or cognitive support, or other needs) are available to students via their campus or community, and provide easy access to information about them via the asynchronous space. Going beyond the required syllabus links and language can make a powerful impact!
- Determine a plan for the course and stick to it as much as possible, particularly in the timing of assignment due dates and synchronous sessions. If adjusting plans, communicate the adjustment clearly and as early as possible.
- Use tools available to provide reminders to students about synchronous sessions and due dates. Making sure important dates are on a course calendar, creating a series of timed announcements, or foregrounding the syllabus as a resource are all useful strategies for logistical support that require minimal effort.
- Consider where you can integrate options for choice. Can you survey students about which of three times would be best for an open office hour? Can you allow contributions to a discussion about a topic in both the synchronous and asynchronous space? Such choices provide the flexibility that multimodal course students often value.
- Provide brief justifications for your chosen synchronous activities, including links to career or larger learning goals. This move not only helps students prioritize these sessions but also contributes to their learning, helping them make connections between the exercise and their overall ambitions.
References
Hall, S., & Villareal, D. (2015). The hybrid advantage: Graduate student perspectives of hybrid education courses. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 27(1), 69–80.
Margolis, A. R., Porter, A. L., & Pitterle, M. E. (2017). Best practices for use of blended learning. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 81(3), 49.
Mick, C. S., & Middlebrook, G. (2015). Asynchronous and synchronous modalities. In B. L. Hewett & K. E. DePew (Eds.), Foundational practices of online writing instruction (pp. 135–154). Parlor Press LLC.
Prince, M., Felder, R., & Brent, R. (2020). Active student engagement in online STEM classes: Approaches and recommendations. Advances in Engineering Education, 8(4), 1–25.
Rotar, O. (2022). Online student support: A framework for embedding support interventions into the online learning cycle. Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning, 17(1), 1–23.
Shane-Simpson, C., Obeid, R., & Prescher, M. (2024). Multimedia characteristics, student relationships, and teaching behaviors predict perceptions of an inclusive classroom across course delivery format. Teaching of Psychology, 51(3), 298–308.
Sheridan, K., & Kelly, M. A. (2010). The indicators of instructor presence that are important to students in online courses. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 6(4), 767–779.