Abstract
Online education, already an important part of higher In this paper, we expand the existing research on course modality (face-to-face, hybrid and online) and their impact on the students learning environment and their feelings of belonging to a larger university community. We use data from three surveys of over 2700 respondents consisting of students in introductory American Politics courses. We asked students their preferences for course format and their experiences in online, hybrid, and traditional classrooms with respect to expressing their individual voices, hearing from people from different backgrounds, and providing a sense of community. We are interested in assessing how students from diverse backgrounds (gender, race, disability status) experience these varied formats of learning. Overall, this study aims to better understand the potential benefits and challenges of different course formats, particularly for minoritized students.