Course Modalities

Course Modalities

UMass Dartmouth offers courses in several delivery modalities. These include in-person (face to face), online, and blended (a combination of face to face & online).   Below are the various course delivery modalities students can expect to see in the COIN class schedule:

• Face to Face – Face to face sections will include a meeting pattern and a classroom location (or TBA location not yet determined). These classes will meet face to face on campus at the indicated time and location.
• Synchronous Online – Synchronous means “learning the same things at the same time” at the same virtual location such as WebEx and live videos. You can ask questions in real time and meet virtually face-to-face. The sections will have a location of “Synchronous Online” and a meeting pattern to indicate when the course will meet online. A synchronous online class will meet at specific times online as indicated on the schedule, but never face to face
• Fully Remote Online or Online (Asynchronous) – Asynchronous means “not at the same time”.  You will be learning online at your OWN time following the syllabus using tools such as websites, blogs, email, videos, taped lectures, podcasts, e-portfolio.  You follow the course syllabus that outlines all assignment due dates. These sections will have a location of “Fully Remote Online” and there will be no meeting pattern. This class has no specified meeting times, in person or online.
• Blended – The class section number will include the letter B (e.g. BNG 211-01B). A blended class will meet face to face for some portion, and will also meet remotely online, or synchronously online, but all potential meeting times (be they synchronous or face to face) will be identified and accounted for on the schedule. Blended classes may also alternate between face to face and online instruction and will include a location. The instructor will determine precise meeting times and modalities and share this information with the class.

Important Note:  Day school students (those who typically take face to face courses during the day) should only register for courses in the day session, as described above. Every semester, the Office of Online and Continuing Education (OCE), offers online courses for OCE program students, but enrolling in OCE courses may affect your tuition and fees, and could impact your scholarships and financial aid award. The OCE sections are distinguishable by their four-digit section number starting with 7 (e.g. 7101, 7102), and they also carry a prerequisite that will prohibit you from registering in COIN unless you are in an OCE program. It is strongly recommended that you speak with your academic and financial aid advisor prior to enrolling in any OCE courses with section numbers like 7101 or 7102.