TEACHx 2024

Little research has explored the modality preferences of students in large general education courses. We wanted to explore which modalities are preferred by students in our large enrollment general education disability studies course and why, with the goal to utilize these insights to co-design a future course modality with students. Student centered course design is a key component of the Universal Design for Learning framework. The team of this study consisted of the course instructor and two undergraduate students who took the class in prior semesters. Eleven students participated in three one-hour online focus group interviews. Thematic analysis of the transcripts demonstrated that students want to experience course modalities that foster their learning, that encourage opportunities to build relationships with peers, teaching assistants and faculty, and that provide optimal access. Students’ modality preferences are also influenced by the realities of their individual needs and preferences, commutes, schedules, and types of classes. Overall, students were most interested in flexible hybrid and distributed course modality options to accommodate diverse student needs and preferences. The involvement of undergraduate students as research team members positively impacted the study as their contributions increased the relevance of focus group questions and enriched the data analysis.