GVSU identifies three forms of course delivery: traditional, hybrid, and online. This document describes the meaning of those forms, and explains how the Online Education and Microcredential Council (OEMC) uses the curriculum review process to authorize a change in delivery format.

Definitions

Face-to-Face (Traditional)
A standard in-person, on-campus course. Typically, an instructor and students come to a regular meeting space a fixed number of times per week. There are exceptions (e.g., independent studies, clinical rotations, Master's theses, etc.), but the expectation is that any content delivery/instruction is done face-to-face with the student, supplemented with technology.

Hybrid
A course in which the instructor deliberately and purposefully replaces some face-to-face instruction with online instruction. A hybrid course is one that requires purposeful use of online instructional strategies in lieu of coming to class (of note, a course is not considered hybrid to replace absence due to illness, snow days, etc.).

Online
A course where the instructor has replaced all in-person, on-campus instruction with online teaching and learning. Students and instructors never come to campus. Online courses can be synchronous (i.e., virtually meeting at the same time), asynchronous (i.e., students and instructor interact with course material at different times), or a combination of the two.

Faculty Approval Process

Hybrid - Faculty scheduled to teach a hybrid course where some face-to-face instruction is replaced with online instruction must also attend a Faculty Teaching and Learning (FTLC) workshop or show prior competency. 

Online - Faculty scheduled to teach a fully online course must attend an FTLC workshop/module(s) on online/hybrid pedagogy or provide evidence of competency in online/hybrid pedagogy to the OEMC, their Dean, and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs.

The Pew Faculty Teaching and Learning Center offers training on how to engage students in online and hybrid courses, with levels ranging from beginning to advanced.  Please visit the Faculty Resources for Online Education website for links to training options as well as other resources intended to support hybrid and online teaching and learning. It is important that departments plan ahead to identify those individuals who will teach online or hybrid courses so that training may be completed in a timely manner.