Synch/Asynch teaching methods

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Daniel Craig on November 2, 2007 at 8:02am

Hi Chris,

Your company's opinion piece on these types of technologies is rather vague. Though I understand the need to keep it brief, I don't see this as addressing teachers (or administrators) questions on what these are useful for or even how you define what these technologies are.

I'd assuming that you are referring to text communications (email/forums/blogs/etc and chat/IM/SMS/etc). However, there are also plenty of audio and video technologies out there now that could fit into one or both of the categories.

I have a little experience, mostly with text technologies, though I don't think that my observations will be revolutionary. There certainly is a lot of literature out there on the role and effectiveness of synchronous and asynchronous text communication. I have to say that my experiences confirm what I've read. Asynchronous is great for when learners need more time to compose and research responses, as well as when they are bound by time constraints that make it difficult to be in the same place at the same time as the instructor and other learners. In my case, I had a class with students in Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, and throughout the U.S.. There was simply NO time that everyone could meet. For group interaction, asynchronous options (emails, forums, blogs, and wikis) served our needs best.

However, as anyone who teaches online will tell you, it is much easier for online students to become disconnected. This is where synchronous communication (chat and phone--both through Skype) played a very important role. I contacted students via phone or chat when I saw in their postings a certainly level of frustration or simply that they were having trouble with the technology or concepts. They also initiated chats with me when they had questions; many students preferred this over email.

Synchronous played a bigger part in group activities. Collaborative projects required interaction beyond the wikis (which was my collaborative platform). Groups were primarily in the same or nearby time zones, which made it much easier for them to interact synchronously with partners. They reported using some of the same technologies that I used with them: Skype, traditional phone service, and even the really traditional "meet you at Starbuck's" approach :)

In the end, it seems to me that it's not just the right technology for the right class, but also the right technology for the right student and even the overall classroom dynamic. A flexible system that enables teachers to provide as many options as possible would likely be best.

Good luck with your research.

Dan

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Chris Davison on November 13, 2007 at 5:10am

Hi Daniel,

Many thanks for your response. Sorry for not getting back to you earlier, but things have been too hectic at my end to log on of late. I appreciate your feedback, and filling me in on your personal experiences. I know that the written piece was a little vague (I didn't write it personally) and was designed more to raise awareness than offer a real insight. The teachers we deal with on a regular basis do not necessarily have the knowledge and skills of members of this forum (such as yourself). To that end, it is really refreshing and enlightening to communicate with such forward thinking and knowledgable individuals (such as yourself) and to learn from your experiences.

In fact, the piece refers to a collaborative learning environment (Taecanet Virtual Classroom) in which web cams and VOIP technologies can be integrated, or text communication used if the above are not possible. This can be supported by the Taecanet Springboard system which allows students to learn idependently at their own pace (www.taecanet.com). Thanks again for your feedback!

• ▶ Reply