Understanding how to structure interactions -- among students, between students and instructors, and between students and course content -- is perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of designing hybrid courses.

Michael G. Moore has identified three types of interactions in online learning:

Learner-content interaction is simply interaction between the learner and the content or subject of study. It occurs when students obtain information directly from learning materials. This type of interaction is foundational to learning, as Moore argues, because "it is the process of intellectually interacting with content that results in changes in the learner's understanding, the learner's perspective, or the cognitive structures of the learner's mind."

​​Providing course content in multiple formats (such as combining text and visuals) can support diverse learners with different needs, abilities, and learning preferences. Students also benefit from opportunities to consume content in their own way and at their own pace, such as having the ability to pause, rewind, repeat, adjust speeds, or enable captions in videos.

Learner-instructor interaction occurs when an instructor delivers information, provides feedback, encourages or guides the learner, or communicates with students. In the online elements of hybrid courses, the instructor's role is typically to serve as a facilitator of active learning (a "guide on the side"), rather than to dispense knowledge to a passive audience (i.e., performing the role of "sage on the stage").

There is a traditional tension in education between teacher- and student-directed learning. This issue has taken center stage in hybrid instruction as many feel that it necessitates a move away from teacher-directed learning. In reality, there is a much more nuanced continuum between these two approaches, and the best courses generally combine elements of both. For example, an instructor can provide a clear scaffold and expectations for a class project while also allowing students choice with regard to when, how, and with whom they will produce the final product. In the same regard, some learning objectives can be created a priori while others can emerge during the course, in dialogue with learners.

Learner-learner interaction "occurs between one learner and other learners, alone or in group settings, with or without the real-time presence of an instructor," as described by Moore. While those new to hybrid learning may find the prospect daunting, meaningful learner-learner interaction can sometimes be easier to facilitate in online learning environments than in traditional classroom settings. In large lecture halls, students can "hide" from the instructor or they may be unable to hear in-class discussions. In other classroom settings, the pressure to speak extemporaneously in front of peers and faculty may provoke feelings of anxiety and may particularly disadvantage students who use assistive technology, require more processing time, prefer to express themselves in writing, or are learning English as a second (or third!) language.

Online, interaction among students often takes the form of discussion forums, but could include an array of activities, such as team-based assignments, group quizzes, peer review, collaborative reading and writing, contributing to wikis, or participating in study groups.

As you consider designing a hybrid learning course, consider what kinds of interactions you envision occurring face-to-face, and how might you use the online environment for other interactions. Are there opportunities for you to explore different instructional strategies in the hybrid course than you have in the past? Are there any factors that might limit the feasibility of robust interaction, either face-to-face or online?