I learned that an instructor really needs to know their class when deciding if you want to do synchronous or asynchronous learning. If a student is doing online learning there is a good chance that flexibility is a key reason for them so I would lean more asynchronous in my teaching style if that was the case.
Having been an online student myself and having experienced both asynchronous and synchronous formats I prefer synchronous most. Watching a PowerPoint slide with voice-over was boring and I was not able to ask questions, I had to email the instructor and by the time the instructor got back to me I had moved on to the next assignment with little clarity on the previous. Voice-over is also boring and I am easily distracted. Synchronous instructions worked best because I was able to ask questions at the time of the presentation and if I had to miss for some reason it was required to watch the recording and write a synopsis. I would definitely utilize both options but in the asynchronous environment, I would keep the presentation to 5 minutes or less and respond to students ASAP.
Synchronous and Asynchronous learning provide two different types of learning environments. Understanding the learning environment that you are teaching in will help to apply the modifications necessary in order to optimize the learning experience for the students. There are benefits and drawbacks with each environment and these should be considered when developing the teaching style for the course.
Comment on Gulsebnem Bishop's post:
Hello, thank you for your question,
Yes, I believe communication is the most important in all aspects of learning and situations.
Learning more ways to navigate the synchronous vs asynchronous teaching methods.
I have learned the importance of organization and methods to determine the best forms of online teaching to meet the needs of every student.
Communication is very important for online teaching.
Organize course content effectively within the LMS environment
Being an online student can come with many obstacles, I have learned that organization is key and that it is important to take advantage of the early access a student gets. Access the course early and start playing around with the system a little bit.
The importance of understanding what method on online teaching works best for the students.
The variables involved in determining synchronous vs asynchronous methods of delivery is something that I hope to apply in faculty on-boarding/training; tying these types of decisions to academic freedom is something I want new educators to be comfortable with discussing, assessing, and implementing.
I learned that communication with your students is critical to obtain positive student feedback. Also, I like the fact that other students can respond a peer's question and receive extra credit if the response is complete and correct.
I learned that there must be consistency of course design, activities, and teaching style.
Develop a pattern of procedures and make certain students understand how the LMS works to progress through those procedures.
I learned the differences between synchronous and asynchronous online teaching methods. Although asynchronous seems more convenient, it is crucial to determine which method is appropriate to use based on your and the students needs.
The delivery method matters and the course must be organized.
Organization and communication is important to present content and using LMS properly you must know to organize synchronous and asynchronous teaching. Its to be presented in a way the student can understand course material.
Both synchronous and asynchronous teaching have one thing in common. The need to have organization, structure, as well as quantifiable goals.
Consistency across learning modules is best for learning.
