1. Las Positas College
  2. Mathematics
  3. Modes of Instruction

Mathematics

Modes of Instruction: What are Traditional, Online Asynchronous, and Emporium?


Which format is right for you?

Important Note About Math Course Technology Requirements
As stated on CLASS-WEB, you ought to contact your instructor prior to the start of the semester to find out what the specific technology requirements are for a particular course. Some instructors use the MyMathLab web portal to assign homework and others require the use of technology including graphing calculators and additional software. The cost associated with these products varies by semester, so it is best to contact the publisher or manufacturer directly to inquire about specifics. In the event that a product is available at the campus bookstore, pricing information can be found by visiting their website or contacting them directly at (925) 424-1812.

Traditional (Instructor Led Learning)

Traditional lecture is the mode of instruction with which most students are familiar.These courses work well for students with the following characteristics:

  1. I learn best when a teacher demonstrates problems.
  2. I can listen and take notes.
  3. I like to work in groups.
  4. I like a structured class.

A math instructor teaches the class. These classes will typically meet two or three times a week at a scheduled time. Many of these classes include one hour of lab per week that is attached to the lecture time. 

Contact your instructor for more information about their teaching style. While some instructors will use the class time for lecture and classwork, other instructors will flip their classroom so that students watch the lecture videos outside of class and spend their class time practicing the material. 

These traditional classes are scheduled in a variety of ways: 

  • In-Person at the LPC Campus: These courses are designated in the schedule by a “D” followed by the section number if they are offered during the day or an “E” followed by the section number if they are offered during the evening (e.g. Math 40 - D01 indicates this is a statistics course offered in-person during the day).
  • Online Synchronous: Instruction occurs remotely at a scheduled day and time online. Materials and links to the virtual classroom, ConferZoom, are accessed through the learning system Canvas. These courses are designated in the schedule by an “S” followed by the section number (e.g. Math 40 - S01 indicates this is a statistics course offered synchronously online).
  • HyFlex: HyFlex stands for a hybrid-flexible course. A student may choose to attend class on campus or remotely at the times and days noted in the schedule. Only vaccinated students will be allowed to attend the class on campus, otherwise students will work in the online environment.  Each classroom has been equipped to support flexible instruction. Throughout the semester, instructors may allow students the flexibility to move between modalities. Some instructors may offer the additional option of completing the class asynchronously online. For more information on HyFlex classes, see laspositascollege.edu/onlinelearning/hyflex.php. These courses are designated in the schedule by an “HF” followed by the section number (e.g. Math 40 - HF1 indicates this is a statistics course offered as HyFlex).

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Online Asynchronous

Classes in this mode do not have scheduled meeting times. Weekly assignments are completed independently by the established deadlines in the syllabus. Materials are accessed through the learning system Canvas.

Asynchronous works best for students to whom the following applies:

  1. Students who are highly self-motivated and responsible.
  2. Students who prefer learning material on their own and do not function optimally in a traditional lecture environment.
  3. Students who are highly resourceful and make regular use of online or face-to-face tutoring and supports.
  4. Students who are committed to learning and genuinely curious about the subject.
  5. Students who have personal or professional obligations that limit the amount of time they can spend on campus.

Asynchronous courses generally do not work well for students to whom the following applies:

  1. Students who believe that taking an asynchronous course will be easier and require less time than taking a traditional lecture course.
  2. Students who are not self-motivated and have a tendency to procrastinate often.
  3. Students who greatly struggle with learning math and would benefit more from the regular one-on-one interaction of a traditional lecture course or the Emporium mode.
  4. Students who are averse to technology, email, or online learning..
  5. Students whose personal and professional commitments outside of school would prevent them from devoting sufficient time to the class.
  6. Students who have previously struggled with learning math in an online or hybrid mode of offering.

These courses are designated in the schedule by an “A” followed by the section number (e.g. Math 40 - A01 indicates this is a statistics course is asynchronous).

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Emporium

Math Emporium is a mode of learning that allows students to work at a semi-flexible pace through their course material. Students may work as quickly as desired to complete their course or take a little more time to absorb and remediate material as needed. Students will use online learning tools to practice content and will receive help from their instructor and instructional assistants in their classroom. Since students are all working at different speeds, there isn’t a classwide lecture during the scheduled class time. Instead, students are working independently, with their support staff, and/or in small groups to learn the content. In order to progress through the course content, students complete their learning and practice assignments for a unit, and then pass the corresponding assessment in order to move on to the next unit of material. By only moving on to the next unit when understanding of the current unit’s material is demonstrated, students will feel more comfortable with the past content and feel less anxious about moving forward into new content. 

These courses work well for students with the following characteristics:

  • I am a self-motivated, dedicated, and organized student.
  • I can learn the material using my textbook, online supports, video lectures and classroom support staff.
  • I would like to have more flexibility for how long I have to work on the material and determine when I test.

These courses are designated in the schedule by an “X” followed by the section number (e.g. Math 40 - X01 indicates this is a statistics course offered as part of the Math Emporium). These courses are offered in HyFlex mode, so students can choose to work in the classroom or the online zoom classroom on the scheduled days and times. For more information on Emporium classes, see laspositascollege.edu/mathemporium/

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