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Online teaching and learning is a form of distance education. While distance education has been offered since the early 1700s, the first online courses were offered in the late 1960s. Original distance education included correspondence courses that involved communication through traditional mail; online education involves a technological component, such as the internet for communication to occur during the learning process. 

Additionally, online teaching and learning has been on the rise for several decades and continues to do so after the COVID-19 pandemic (Lederman, 2021). Although distance education and online learning were historically offered for adults to acquire lifelong learning or formal education, it is imperative that we remember traditional-college age learners are emerging adults. Today’s learners resemble non-traditional age learners due to many of the responsibilities they bring with them, such as care-giving, working while going to school, and managing their time and engagement with decreased capacities due to a myriad of other reasons (Lumina Foundation, 2022).

Almost every instructor and every learner experienced some type of online learning during the years of 2020-2021. Much of this learning was considered remote, or in other words, transitioning teaching to an online platform from an in-person modality due to emergency reasons. This transition often required being reactive rather than responsive or proactive. Consequences from this emergency remote teaching include misunderstandings of how to teach well online as well as how to learn well online (Kaiser et al., 2024). All online education requires careful planning as well as understanding the various formats in which online education can be delivered.

Core principles:

• Requires both clear and organized instructions and expectations, and a well-sequenced and scaffolded learning experience
• Most effective through a , grounded in ,Ìý, and  learning theories
• Requires active rather than passive learning techniques, and quality 
• Providing choice and relevance is key to successful online learning

Guidelines and Approaches:

The formats mentioned above are often determined by the program or department. As instructors, it is important to understand the nuances that affect teaching and learning within each format.

• Asynchronous-Learners are not required to meet simultaneously. This format offers the most flexibility in terms of learner scheduling conflicts, requires developing self-directed and self-efficacy skills, and among other things, instructor organization and time management skills.
• Synchronous-Learners meet at designated times through platforms such as Zoom. Although replicating an in-person course more than the asynchronous format, in-person teaching does not translate 1:1 in designing and facilitating synchronously. Often, there is still asynchronous elements involved through the learning management system (LMS).
• Hybrid Courses have required in-person and online components. Meeting days and times are specified before the course begins. Flipped classrooms are an example of a hybrid format, in which, learners are required to do asynchronous work to prepare for the more active in-person meeting.
• Blended Learning uses online technology and pedagogy to enhance in-person learning. Blended learning is an umbrella term to capture learning with in-person and online components. Hybrid, Hy-flex, and flipped classrooms are just a few examples that fall within this umbrella term.
• Hy-Flex Format allows learners to choose attending class in-person or synchronously via a video-conferencing method, such as Zoom. Learners can choose on a day-to-day basis on which way they will attend. 

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• Online learning allows learners that are unable to participate in traditional learning due to multiple reasons including access, health concerns, juggling responsibilities
• Online learning allows for flexibility in that learners do not have to travel to attend class, and various forms of online education offer varied degrees of flexibility in learning.
• Online learning can bring with it challenges for both the instructors and learners. Due to the lack of inherent non-verbal cues and in-person interactions, learners can feel isolated, and for some, more marginalized. For instructors, this means taking diligent care in designing, organizing, and facilitating online courses.

Examples or Templates:

The following pages provide a roadmap to get started on the design of your online course and teaching it effectively:

• Course Design Tips for Online Teaching
• Tips for Teaching Online
• Online Considerations and Examples
• Time Management Tips for Online Teaching
• Learner Resources: Tips for Learning Online

Next Steps:

The following article,Ìý provides a matrix to help make decisions on the type of activities that are best suited for in-person and online.

Resources and Tools:

• Kaiser, L.M.R., Lopes, T., Manson, M.*, Zarestky, J.,ÌýMcKenna, K., & Saade, D.* (2024). Instructional method shifts: Instructors’ plans post emergency remote teaching. New Horizons in Adult Education and Human Resource Development, 36(4), 233-247.

• McKenna, K., Kaiser, L.M.R.,ÌýMurray-Johsnon, K., & Gupta, K. (2025). Inclusive online teaching: A toolkit. eLearn Magazine,Ìý2025(1). 

• Lederman, D. (2021). New data offer sense of how COVID expanded online learning. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/09/16/new-data-offer-sense- how-covidexpanded-online-learning 

• Lumina Foundation. (November 2022). Today’s students.