Online Learning Resources

Everything you need to know to start learning online.

This website is intended to provide you with the resources you need to be a successful online student. You should gain an understanding of how an online course is set up, how to navigate it effectively, and how to collaborate and submit your academic work.  In addition to this, you may learn more about resources available to you as an online student at the University of Michigan - Flint. 

Online Section Types

When you register for classes you will notice different meeting types listed than what you might be used to seeing. If you are not familiar, please review the different types below as you make your selection.

Face to Face Courses: (indicated by only a numeric section number) These courses will have face to face meeting times on campus. This includes “flipped classrooms” where direct instruction, frequently in the form of video lectures, is provided to students online.  Students encounter this information before class, freeing up in-person class time for activities that involve higher order thinking. 

Online Synchronous: (indicated by a W + numeric section number) An online course that meets at regular times via remote conferencing tools with live instructor interaction. (No in-seat meeting.) This type of course will likely contain some asynchronous content. For example: syllabus, lecture files, and readings. The schedule will indicate “synchronous” (OSYNC) in the “where” or location portion of SIS.

Online Asynchronous: (indicated by a W + numeric section number) Courses comprised of learning activities that students can complete on their own time, with regular deadlines that keep them on track. Students will engage with the majority of course materials without the instructor present. The course material is typically available in a Canvas course shell. The schedule will indicate “asynchronous” (OASYNC) in the “where” or location portion of SIS, and TBA in the time as there is no set meeting time at any time during the semester.

Flex Courses: (indicated by an F + numeric section number) These courses are offered in a trimodal format: they meet on campus in a Zoom-enabled classroom, online synchronously in a live Zoom classroom, and online asynchronously through recordings of live classes and asynchronous discussion board. This mode affords flexibility for students to learn in the classroom, live (synchronously) online, or asynchronously online at the same time. Faculty will teach in the classroom with some students physically present while the remaining students participate remotely, either synchronously or asynchronously. It is possible for students to participate in this mode without ever attending class on campus or live synchronously online.

Students on F1 and J1 visas must attend flex courses in person.


Mixed Mode Courses: (indicated by a M + numeric section number) These courses will have both online (may be synchronous or asynchronous) and on-campus or in the field elements required. The multiple class meeting lines indicate when at least one face to face component is required, and when online meeting attendance is required either in synchronous or asynchronous mode. This is different from Hyperflex because all students are participating in the same modality at all times. These courses often have between 30 and 79 percent of instruction delivered online. These courses may include fieldwork or internship courses that have online lectures and clinical or in the field required elements. 

Hyperflex/Hyflex Courses: (indicated by an H + numeric section number) These courses are a form of mixed-mode course: they meet synchronously in a classroom while simultaneously allowing students to participate online. This mode allows for students to learn in the classroom or live (synchronously) online at the same time. Faculty will teach in the classroom with some students physically present while the remaining students participate remotely. It is possible to participate in this mode without ever attending class on campus. 

Students on F1 and J1 visas must attend hypferflex courses in person.

What to Expect

From the technical point-of-view, it is recommended to have regular access to a computer, dependable Internet connection, word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software, while taking online courses. Your courses will be facilitated in Canvas, which allows you to access lectures from your professors, interact with your classmates and instructor, complete and submit assignments and assessments, and keep track of your progress by checking your grades.

Login: canvas.flint.umich.edu 

It is important to know that the major difference between online and traditional courses is the delivery format--not the content. A popular misconception is that online courses are easier than traditional classroom courses. However, online courses are equivalent in breadth and depth of content, workload, and quality of learning to traditional classroom courses, but the teaching and learning activities in the online learning environment may be somewhat different than the teaching and learning activities in on-campus courses.

Below are some simple best practices you can put into action to be a successful online student:

Logging in daily can help you to keep track of your course and avoid surprises.

Save your syllabus for later reference

Instructors are less likely to be accommodating of your technical issues if you experience them just before a deadline.  A computer that freezes at 11:57 p.m. the night an exam is due is a much bigger problem than a glitch two days before the test window closes.

Just because the class is online, don’t expect it to be a breeze.  Homework, tests, and participation are a part of online courses, too.

Though your instructor may not require you to be online on any certain day at a certain time, make a schedule for yourself to establish a rhythm for the course.  Have a two hour break on Monday and Wednesdays?  Use that window as time for your online class.

Your instructors won’t know your personal email address, so keep an eye on your @umich.edu email address.  Any messages from your instructors, classmates, financial aid, the Registrar, and all other departments on campus will be sent to this address, so don’t fail to check it regularly.

Please contact your professor if you have questions regarding course content, due dates, exams, grades, resetting a test, etc.

Recommended Technology

Supported Operating Systems

Windows (Microsoft)

macOS (Apple)

Chrome OS (Google)


Supported Web Browsers

Visit the Canvas support site for the most up-to-date information on supported browsers


Recommendations

We recommend all computers have the following:

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