Good to be reminded of the differences between sychronous and asychronous learning.
One thing that has stood out and is gaining traction with me is the decision to have asynchronous/synchronous chats. I feel these are great tools for learners but they must have the ability to "hit home" for the learner so that they feel engaged with the course.
I was given a good reminder of how valuable guest lecturers can be -- even in the online environment -- and way to organize those efforts.
Allowing students to progress at their own rate is a valuable part of asynchronous learning.
I think one of the most interesting part of this module was thinking about the use of guest speakers in on line courses to do it more interesting for participants.
Synchronous and Asynchronous discussions enhance the learning outcomes of students and engagement with the course. Online learning can provide similar or better experiences for students in guest lecturers, discussions and interactions than face-to-face learning.
The use of guest speakers to engage students and give them an outside real- world perspective is an area I would like to look consider for distant learners. Discussion are a great way to get students thinking about topics and start to use critical thinking. Encouraging students to engage in discussions is a good way to help students. reflect and opens up opportunities for expanded learning.
The methods for synchronous and asynchronous learning are not new to me. I have used the methods before when treating patients and in my own online pursuit of education and now I will apply these methods to teaching as an instructor myself. I am excited and ready to start finding hospital educators to come into my classes as guest speakers to present their expertise and insight into the subject matter we are covering in class.
I learned about the different forms of distance education.
A reminder that technology has enabled content to be delivered to students in many ways, reading remains one of the keyways students acquire information. Online students will read supplemental material if it is focused and brief so that when completed, students feel that they have acquired new information so selected need to be specific and targeted.
Having guest speakers increase students interests and can reinforce the content being taught by making connections and applications of the content between the course and the real world. The inclusion of guest lecturers is a way to increase student interest in the course as they get to hear and learn from someone in their field. Asking questions prior and giving to the guest speaker and in return giving the information back allows us to answer questions for students.
Synchronous chats are the equivalent of the best of lively class discussions in an online environment and offers interactions that are stimulating, synergistic and insightful. These sessions: however, need to be planned and delivered in a way to engage the students and help them see value in meeting as a class.
I find that asynchronous chats do not take place at the same time and allows students to progress at their own rate and on their own time. Self-guided lesson modules, pre-recorded video content, virtual libraries, lecture notes and online discussion boards or social media platforms. Many times, the two of them are synched together; however, teachers constantly need to survey students to determine that their learning needs are being met and that they are not feeling left out of or falling behind the learning process and keep them engaged. A lot of great information that is unknown, known, and/or reinforced.
Making sure there is effective communication in any format is important for student engagement and learning.
In an online course, it is best to have both synchronous as well as asynchronous activities, lectures, discussions.
I enjoyed the ideas discussed in this section.
It is important to look for the combination of learning activities to ensure the best result for students
A technique I learned in this module was the use of guest lecturers in an online environment. This was the first time I've seen that recommendation.
I did not even consider reaching out to professionals in order to provide guest speakers in class. It was helpful to read over all of the strategies that are just as useful in an online setting as they are in person.
Getting students' engaged by using different methods of questions, using google with their reading to enhance the retention of what they are learning and why.
The examples for how to structure activities & applicability of synchronous & asynchronous methods.
