The instructional delivery method (IDM) for a course describes how a course section will be offered by the instructor(s). Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, most JHU classes were held in-person, in an instructional space. However, that was modified due to both advances in technology and the need to hold courses remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a fairly complex list of IDMs.
Effective Summer 2025, the university has simplified its IDMs. The courses and their sections have been updated accordingly and made visible on JHU’s course search. The new IDMs are as follows:
| Instructional Delivery Method | Definition |
|---|---|
| In-Person | 100% of the required instructional time is scheduled to be in-person – Includes “flipped classrooms” because meeting pattern is scheduled in same manner as in-person; – lectures and other content are available online and in-person time is devoted to application/discussion |
| Blended | Some, but not 100%, of required instructional time is in-person, with the remainder provided online. The section must have some in-person meeting every week. |
| Online – Asynchronous | 100% of the required instructional time is delivered in an online format – self-paced online instruction with content available during an established timeframe |
| Online – Synchronous | 100% of the required instructional time is delivered in an online format – online courses with some real-time virtual sessions where students are logged in simultaneously |
| Online – Hybrid | 100% of the required instructional time is delivered in an online format – online course involving a mix of synchronous and asynchronous instruction |
Information about past JHU IDMs can be found on the Instructional Delivery Method Archive page. Below is a comparison chart which can be used to map the current state to the future state (Summer 2025 – forward).
