Current directions in higher education mean that there is no longer a clear dichotomy between “online” and “in-person” learning.  As descriptions evolve, we continue to see labels such as online, hybrid, flex-time, virtual, synchronous, asynchronous, and others.

In the CCT program, courses are always instructor-led (not self-paced), and they almost always take one of the following three forms using the labels here:

• hybrid = the course has regular (e.g., weekly) meetings; students at a distance may join meetings through video web conference and participate live in all activities and discussions, and some or all class meetings can be attended by those on campus (sometimes depending upon student interest).
• online only = the course is offered in a virtual format and does not allow any option to join on campus; there may be some number of required or optional virtual meetings but these may not be held every week.
• synchronous online = the course is offered in a virtual format with no option to join on campus, but it involves regular (e.g., weekly) meetings; attendance is required at all meetings through video web conference.

Please review the notes below for additional explanations, and consider these before confirming your matriculation. Note the following general points about course availability, attendance, and formats:

• Some fall and spring courses (and a very few summer courses) use hybrid format. This means that local students may attend on campus, and those at a distance join by video web conference. In recent years, more and more local students have chosen to attend meetings through web conference, for purposes of convenience, and/or time and cost savings related to commuting. Those who prefer face-to-face interaction should therefore note that the number of in-person participants can be quite small.
• A number of courses can only be taken entirely online (there is no hybrid option). There may be just a few required synchronous online meetings during the term, and in a very few cases, they may be entirely asynchronous as well where most or all work is completed independently, and interaction may only happen through online written discussion boards or similar resources. In such cases, meetings may be arranged on your own time with other students for small-group projects, or periodic instructor conferences may be encouraged.
• Students should expect to encounter a combination of the course formats and schedules described above throughout your studies. Local students will likely need to take at least some courses fully online to complete requirements and electives when needed in the sequence of your plan of study.
• In any case, all programs (Graduate Certificate, MA, any track) can be completed entirely from a distance with no need to ever visit campus, if that is what you choose.
• Every course is not offered in every term or in every format. Be prepared to be flexible around your sequence and electives (most courses have no prerequisites and can be taken in any order, but there are a few exceptions).
• The final course, CrCrTh 694 Synthesis of Theory and Practice, involves the writing of the capstone requirement needed to earn the MA. Note that course CrCrTh 692 Processes of Research and Engagement must be completed before taking 694. The 694 course must be taken last and is only offered in the spring term (so this means that typically, most MA students finish in the spring term with a May graduation date). The program director must confirm any exceptions, which sometimes amounts to taking a remaining course or two in the summer or fall following the spring when 694 is taken (and therefore leads to an August or December graduation date), and then completing additional requirements around the capstone project (to account for ways that those final courses were not considered when the capstone was written).

Expectations for Attendance

For courses meeting regularly in the fall and spring, meetings usually happen once per week, on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, from either 4:00-6:45pm Eastern time or 7:00-9:45pm Eastern time. Instructors may occasionally reduce the meeting length or eliminate certain meetings throughout the term, but generally, students should start a course with the expectation that you will meet every week and attend the full session until confirmed otherwise by the instructor.

When enrolling in a hybrid course, please note that there may be separate face-to-face and online sections listed in the registration system when you go to enroll. Students matriculated into the CCT program should generally register for the “online” section unless you have an administrative reason that requires you to join on-campus (“regular”) sections. Please contact the program director and instructors with any questions about specific arrangements.

Learning in Hybrid Format

The hybrid format course allows all students, both on campus and online, to participate in live discussion and class activities together. For all intents and purposes, they are participating in the same course. While the goal is to create an inclusive environment (as well as also ensure that small courses have enough participants to allow a robust experience for students), there are some issues that all students might consider.

Guidelines for all participants:

• Individual instructors may use their own policy for deciding what counts as attendance or absence and if virtual attendance is allowed as a back-up to on-campus attendance, such as an accommodation for cases of illness or out-of-town travel.
• Class meetings often involve activities that make use of small breakout groups (for example, a large class may divide into groups of 3 to complete an exercise or discussion together). To help on-campus and online participants to have opportunities to interact, a small group may be arranged to include some of each type. Flexibility is appreciated here; for example, face-to-face students may sometimes be asked to log into the virtual conference on their own laptop from within the physical classroom to participate in a small-group activity.
• Class meetings may be audio or video-recorded at the instructor’s discretion (typically for the purpose of allowing students who miss a meeting to review the recording in order to complete make-up work). Please check with the instructor about the class policy, although the recordings, as well are all class materials and interactions, are maintained within password-protected sites and only accessible to students enrolled in the course, and only for the duration of the term.

Guidelines for virtual participation:

• Please make an effort to ensure that you are using a stable and reliable Internet connection.
• Generally, sharing your video feed is requested, particularly when your microphone is live for sharing your audio. Individual instructors may have specific expectations around class engagement. Even so, it is understood that class policies need to be responsive to students needs to protect privacy around what is shared by video when participating in class virtually.
• Notice that the virtual video experience is often different between different kinds of devices. Some features available in Zoom on a regular computer may not be accessible when using a tablet or mobile device, for example.
• It is sometimes possible to join a class meeting by phone as a backup, if other technology does not work. Speak to the instructor about your needs as they come up (and remember that phone fees/minutes may be charged).
• Become comfortable with simple computer troubleshooting — as unexpected audio and video problems occur, know how to view your microphone or webcam settings, test hardware, and even be prepared to leave a video conference and then restart it to help work out bugs.

Guidelines for on-campus participants:

• Take some time to learn how to use Zoom/video conferencing (in case you end up having a reason to attend class that way). Practice using the interface so that you know what various screen indicators mean (for example, know how to determine if a remote participant has muted their microphone or is trying to send a written chat message). In some cases, you may be asked to join a conference for small-group work in a breakout room.
• Follow protocols for discussion, such as use of turn-taking to speak. Note that online participants are not as likely to break into conversation or interrupt as often as this tends to happen naturally in face-to-face interactions, so leave space to notice if online participants seem to be attempting to speak.
• When in the classroom, do your best to speak clearly toward the microphone and in a way that allows online participants to hear well and “be a part” of the discussion (i.e., minimize side conversations in the classroom that are relevant to learning but cannot be heard/understood by those online).
• Because class materials may be most often shared through an online system (such as a blog or website), on-campus students may want to bring a personal laptop to access materials  (or be prepared to share computers available in the classroom). In some cases, materials may be posted online and printed handouts may be limited or even not made available at all.