Our EDCI 336 class focused on the topic of modality in today’s lecture. Modality is the mode in which we do our learning. Some modality options are face-to-face, online/distanced, blended, or multi-modal, though other modalities exist. This year has forced schools to think about how to best deliver their educational experience while keeping the population safe. This means that a lot of education has moved to an online or “distanced” modality, and unfortunately some educational opportunities have been postponed or even canceled due to this shift.

So what do we need to consider if education is restricted to a single modality? In the face-to-face modality, some people may be unable to physically go to school, and therefore they miss out. people who are forced to be doing work from home may not have the resources to access the classes (the right tech, strong wifi, good space to do their learning, etc). Each modality comes with its own pros and cons, and there is no inherent betterness to any one form of modality. For example, being face-to-face does can feel more isolating than some online experiences, and online learning can foster more connections between peers than face-to-face. What creates this difference is how active or passive the pedagogy of the teacher is. As a future teacher what is more important than the type of modality I use is how active or passive my pedagogy is. The overall goal is to have students engaged and interested in lessons, no matter if they are physically present or not.