Modalities (Instructional Methods) of Courses and Proper Banner Coding

SUNY Broome Community College has been involved in Distance Education since 1997 when the College first partnered with the SUNY Learning Network to begin offering fully online courses.   Since then, our participation in Distance Education initiatives has grown tremendously and continues to evolve. What began as just a few fully online courses has become a robust program that includes a continuum of modalities available to enhance student learning.  Courses that utilize online instructional technology at SUNY Broome can be divided into four basic modalities: Fully Online Asynchronous, Blended (or “Hybrid”), Synchronous Remote, Hyflex, and Web Supplemented.   Below is a description of each as well the Instructional Method used to identify them on the Course Schedule in Banner.  Please note, that fully face-to-face courses may contain required online components.  This is addressed in the “General Classroom Standards” area of the College Catalog:

“Students should be prepared for the requirement to use a computer in any course they register for at SUNY Broome regardless of whether it is a fully online, blended or face-to-face section. Questions regarding the types of activities required in a specific course or section should be directed to the department offering the course.”

In a Fully Online Asynchronous course, all coursework will be delivered asynchronously via Brightspace and its associated components.  There is no expectation for the student to travel to campus to attend scheduled class sessions or to be online at specific times for class meetings.

Asynchronous courses are not typically self-paced, as students will need to participate in activities each week and meet due dates throughout the semester.  Fully online courses as SUNY Broome utilize Brightspace to deliver online content, conduct asynchronous discussion, manage assignments, and/or deliver exams/quizzes among other activities.  It should be noted that not all online courses utilize all of these content items.

Fully Online Asynchronous courses must be designated with a “Y” in the section code when listed on the course tally (ex: ENG 111Y01) and must be listed as either DLA (Dist Learn Asynch) or DLAP (Dist Learn Asynch Proctored) in the Instructional Method field in Banner.

Note: Fully Online courses that are designated as “Proctored” must also contain the following Banner comment to notify the student of the proctoring requirement for the course:

“This course requires the use of a remote proctoring tool for exams. Students must have reliable access to a compatible computer with a webcam and microphone.”

A Blended course (also commonly referred to as “Hybrid”) is designated with a “B” in the course section code and indicates that the course meets both on campus and online. In a blended course, a significant part of the course learning (25% or more)  is online and, as a result, the amount of classroom seat-time is reduced, but not eliminated. While every blended course is organized differently, the underlying goal of the blended format is to join the best practices of face-to-face teaching with the best features of online instructional technology to promote active independent learning and reduce class seat time.

Blended courses must be designated with a “B” in the section code when listed on the course tally (ex: ENG 111B01) and must be listed as either DLB  (Dist Learn Blended) or DLBP  (Dist Learn Blended Proctored) in the Instructional Method field in Banner.

Note: Blended courses that are designated as “Proctored” must also contain the following Banner comment to notify the student of the proctoring requirement for the course:

“This course requires the use of a remote proctoring tool for exams. Students must have reliable access to a compatible computer with a webcam and microphone.”

A Synchronous Remote course will be delivered remotely on the same days and times that the class would typically meet face-to-face.  Rather than meet in the physical classroom, the instructor and students will meet as a group through a web-conferencing technology such as Collaborate Ultra or Zoom.  Brightspace may also be used for the submission of assignments, tests and other activities.

Synchronous Remote courses must be designated with a “R” in the section code when listed on the course tally (ex: ENG 111R01) and must be listed as either DLS  (Dist Learn Synchronous) or DLSP (Dist Learn Synchronous Proctored) in the Instructional Method field in Banner.

Note: Synchronous Remote courses that are designated as “Proctored” must also contain the following Banner comment to notify the student of the proctoring requirement for the course:

“This course requires the use of a remote proctoring tool for exams. Students must have reliable access to a compatible computer with a webcam and microphone.”

A Hyflex course combines online and face-to-face instruction simultaneously into one single course section. Students are able to participate in class in different ways: as a synchronous distance learner (via real-time, videostreaming); as an asynchronous distance learner (accessing materials, recorded lectures, and responding at a later time); as a face-to-face learner (physically present in the classroom); or as a flexible learner (with a degree of choice as to how they participate each week; sometimes face-to-face, sometimes by streaming class sessions, etc.).

Hyflex courses must be designated with a “HF” in the section code when listed on the course tally (ex: ENG 111HF01) and must be listed as either HFX (Hyflex) or HFXP (Hyflex Proctored) in the Instructional Method field in Banner.

Note: Hyflex courses that are designated as “Proctored” must also contain the following Banner comment to notify the student of the proctoring requirement for the course:

“This course requires the use of a remote proctoring tool for exams. Students must have reliable access to a compatible computer with a webcam and microphone.”

Web Supplemented courses are simply traditional face-to-face courses that also use Brightspace to deliver some of the content in the course.  Unlike Blended courses, there is no reduced seat time in the meeting schedule for classes. There is no designator in the section course code to indicate a web supplemented course and no Instructional Method exists to filter out web supplement courses within the course listing in Banner. Rather, it is assumed that any course offered at SUNY Broome may incorporate technology and the use of a computer as part of the instruction.