Synchronous vs. Asynchronous:
What Works Best in the Career College
Melissa A Wertz
Academic Department Chair, Online Division
wertz.melissa@pti.edu
Synchronous vs. Asynchronous: What Works Best in the Career College
Agenda
● Who I am?
● The Definitions
● Pros and Cons
● Online Learning Tools
● Blending the Two Methods
● Final Thoughts
Who I am?
Academic
Department
Chair, Online
Faculty
Development
Mathematics
Education
Melissa Wertz
Career
College
Online
Education
Instructional
Technology
The Definitions
Real
Real
Time
Time
(Synchronous)
(Synchronous)
● Synchronous Online Learning
(Asynchronous) Time Independent
● Asynchronous Online Learning
– Real Time
– Time Independent
– Live instruction
– Flexible
– Students and instructors present at
the same time
– Students participate at their
convenience
Pros of Synchronous Online Learning
Questions answered and feedback provided immediately
Assists in building community in the course
Conduct group activities and exercises
Students can attend live from anywhere in the world
Student can review recorded sessions
Cons of Synchronous Online Learning
Participants must be in the same place at the same time
Can take away the convenience and flexibility of online learning
Requires a confidence level with technology
Different time zones will present scheduling issues
Bandwidth and technology must be considered
Pros of Asynchronous Online Learning
Flexible and convenient – no set schedule
Study anywhere, anytime with access to a computer and Internet
Concentrate efforts in mastering areas containing new information
and/or skills
Different time zones without issue
Students afforded the time to reflect and provide more in depth
responses
Cons of Asynchronous Online Learning
No immediate access to an instructor for questions or problems
Lack of interaction can lead to feelings of isolation
Requires a level of self-motivation and discipline to complete
Greater potential for disconnect between student and faculty
Lack of visual and auditory clues
Synchronous Online Learning Tools
● Blackboard Collaborate (Elluminate and Wimba Combined)
● Skype (www.skype.com)
● V-See (vsee.com)
● Adobe Connect (www.adobe.com/products/adobeconnect.html)
● WebEx (www.webex.com)
● Google Talk, Google Drive, Google +, Google + Hangouts
(www.google.com)
● Any Meeting (www.anymeeting.com)
● Big Blue Button (bigbluebutton.org)
● Yugma (www.yugma.com)
● Gotomeeting (www.gotomeeting.com)
● Ustream (www.ustream.tv)
Asynchronous Online Learning Tools
● Discussion Boards
● Journals
● Blogs
● Email
● Vlogs
● YouTube
● Vimeo
● ScreenCasts
● PowerPoint Presentations
● Wikis
● Publisher Resources
Blending the Two Methods
Best of both worlds for teaching and for learning!
Effective online courses include asynchronous and synchronous learning
activities
Students and faculty benefit regardless of schedules or preferred learning
methods
Provides students with access to immediate help on a specific day and
time
Students have the ability to learn at their own pace
Students have the opportunity to review recordings to assist in learning
Final Thoughts
● To make the most of your online courses:
– Incorporate both synchronous and asynchronous learning
– Always think about the student experience
– Provide training for faculty and students
– Adhere to consistent instructional design between courses
– Strive to improve on a regular basis
Resources
● www.facultyfocus.com
● http://www.magnapubs.com/catalog/online-classroom-newsletter/
● http://sloanconsortium.org/
● http://www.usdla.org/
● https://www.qualitymatters.org/