Weekly Blog Post 2

This week, I watched Dr. Irvine’s video on learning modalities in university environments. One of Dr. Irvine’s main points was the impact of different ways of delivering instruction. Although I know that most classes at UVic are split into face-to-face (F2F) and synchronous/asychronous online learning modes based on what I’ve seen in the course registration, Dr. Irvine has also mentioned other modalities such as hybrid, which means both online and F2F, and multi-access, which means options available for both online and F2F forms of learning.

Every one of these modalities is beneficial in its own way, in my opinion, and, as Dr. Irvine has said, no format is truly better than the others. In fact, everyone has their own preferred way of learning their material based on their own requirements. For example, it can be more beneficial for first-year students to have face-to-face classes so that they can better adapt to the university structure and also be able to have proper social connection with others on campus. Meanwhile, rural students might benefit more from online learning since they may have barriers to travelling to a campus. Therefore, when we look at a student’s circumstances, there is no such thing as a method that is best for all students.

Open Learning Connection

When it comes to education modalities, I believe that online options are still not as prioritized as they should be. From my own experience when registering for a psychology elective, I was given 4 different F2F classes to choose from while there was only one online class available. Although many students may still be able to attend a F2F class, they should also be able to choose other modalities to better fit their preferences. Overall, allowing students to choose their own methods can help students better engage with course content and support students who are in their own circumstances.