Why do we need to require to have a face-to-face class experience?

I think there are several positive outcomes to having a face to face learning experience. It keeps accountability on the students to have a teacher in the room and stops students from hiding and avoiding being engaged. In high school, I had a video conference Calculus class without a teacher in the classroom and many students would cheat on tests because they could be outside the camera view.

Should an instructor’s preference override accessibility? or student preference of modality?

I believe that the students should have autonomy over their form of learning and it is the teacher’s job adapt. If the teacher is only willing or able to provide the material in a single mode then they are not properly suited to be an educator. A large portion of the job is being able to adapt as time passes and stay current with new modes of learning.

 

Does/should modality bias exist?

Modality bias definitely exists as certain educators feel more confident providing information through their preferred mode. Similarly, students are going to have preferences for receiving information and completing work that is assessed. I believe a balanced approach to learning is best so that sometimes students can perform work in their preferred way but also are challenged to expand their knowledge in new forms.

Should we allow flexibility in modality accessibility (e.g. multi-access)? What are the implications?

I think there are times where this may be appropriate but should not always be given as an option. Videoconferencing is a very useful task that will transfer to the workforce as corporations are increasingly globalizing and it is not feasible to meet in person. It is important for students to receive information from new modes so they are practiced at adapting and the workforce won’t be as shocking of a transition.

 

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