Asynchronous vs Synchronous Learning: How To Use Both

Asynchronous vs Synchronous learning How do you make sense for each learning style in the design and planning of your class?

If we consider the relation between learning and time there are two ways to think about it. There are two terms that pop into our minds are Asynchronous and synchronous.

In this article we'll look at Synchronous vs Asynchronous learning. What is the significance of each type of learning, for how you will plan and design your online courses?

Synchronous vs Asynchronous Learning What is the different?

• Learning that is synchronized occurs at a live pace, live and in real time, when people are gathered in the same space... whether that space is physical , like a classroom or a virtual space like an online webinar or meeting. Webinar on Zoom or gathering.
• Asynchronous learning occurs at a distance that is not tied to time. It is learning that happens in the individual's preferred period of time, in any space they choose to be in. preference (although the virtual location where asynchronous learning takes place is likely to be determined by the learning creator ).

Asynchronous learning's appeal is evident - who wouldn't want to be able to study at their own speed in their own way at the convenience of their own vehicle, home, or even on the beach?

The issue is that most adult learners' lives are so filled with external time-based demands which even the programs they truly desire to complete asynchronously can sometimes end up being put on hold.

The distinction between synchronous and asynchronous learning existed before the advent of online learning.

• The people have met in the past in classrooms in real-time as well as in group discussions that are based on location for learning at a rapid pace.
• These same individuals could be the ones who have gone off independently to study and assignments for homework and assignments at their own pace , and within their own space and time.

But the advent of online learning make an important distinction between and non-synchronous learning activities more critical as the SPACE for learning (the online portal for learning or arena) can be used or live, in real-time with other people, or by yourself - whenever, wherever.

When our learning SPACE is on the internet, not in a geographical location in the physical world is more important to differentiate the type of learning duration.

Back when there was just classroom-based education physically, the main question one had to answer was "WHERE should I be in order to be able to learn?" (And then, incidentally, "WHEN do I have to be present?")

With online learning the weight and importance given to time and space are reversed, so that we first must ask ourselves: "WHEN do I have to be there?" (And then, as a matter of fact, "WHERE do I have to go?")

If you've got the exact time of the Zoom meeting scheduled in your calendar, you can get the meeting URL late in the day and still make it to class on time.

The main question to think about is WHO chooses the time you have to attend to your educational experience? Is the knowledge you'll gain on the internet only accessible to you during the time you choose (synchronous, by timing) or can you have access to it at any time you'd like and on your own timetable (asynchronous, with no time)?

Synchronous Learning

Examples of synchronous education (taking place in real-time) can include:

• A live Zoom Class Meeting with the requirement of pre-registration
• Zoom breakout rooms that feature structured small-group activities
• A scheduled workshop with interactive Q and Q.
• A live streaming webinar
• A Facebook Live
• A group chat scheduled for the future
• Live coaching for groups
• One-on-one live coaching

What exactly is Synchronous Learning best to use it for?

Interaction with others in synchrony is something that people are hard-wired to enjoy. Live social interaction fosters community and allows for immediate adjustments to the individual needs of each participant in the group (as in the event that instructors and participants can create an environment that is conducive to allow for this). ).

Synchronous Learning offers the benefits of

• Immediacy
• Accountability
• Community
• Engaging with the teacher and with others learners
• Feedback from peers immediately while the learning is taking place.

Because it brings people together with real-time interaction as well as in a space (whether virtual or physical) with a similar theme or objective Asynchronous learning encourages participation between the teacher and other students. It provides immediate feedback and immediate "course corrections" (pun meant) in the event that it is evident that one or many, need help with a specific aspect of the material. Instructors can quickly notice the students who are struggling in confusion, stuck or lost or in need of additional support. The students can receive specific, directed guidance WHILE they are engaged in the work of learning.

In a model of flipped classrooms, synchronous learning is used to conduct activities in which high inter-personal involvement will bring the greatest benefits. For example, the instructor can have students study preparatory material before the class from home (asynchronously) before they attend class with a plan for a (synchronous) live role play, put on a debate, or work in teams to work on a challenging problem.

One reason why the synchronous modes are typically preferable for the purpose of piloting courses is because course creators require feedback on how students are absorbing, responding to, and processing the materials in the course. This kind of feedback is only able to be obtained through direct live watching the process of learning live, while the process is taking place.

The disadvantages of synchronous learning from the instructors' point of view is that it's not as flexible like asynchronous learning and consequently does not make the most benefit of online learning platform. If course participants have to show up at a certain date and time in order to learn from the instructor, instructors must attend as well. That means the quantity of online synchronous learning that a course provider can provide is restricted by the length of time they have to offer live online instruction.

Asynchronous Learning

Learning asynchronously (at your own paceand at your own pace, and in the comfort of your own house) is among the things people like best when it comes to online learning. If you have a busy family and those living in remote locations, learning asynchronously could be the only kind of education they could take advantage of.

Asynchronous learning does not take place at a specific time, but that doesn't mean it doesn't need to be a long the necessary time. To get the maximum value from asynchronous learning, you must make time on your OWN calendar to make it take place.

However, there's a caveat as people love the IDEA of being able to learn according to their own time, most of our schedules have so many tasks we have to complete, at specific times, which is something that we just want to do, and can be able to do at any moment, frequently becomes something that gets done during ...NO timing.

The most effective way to do this is to set a time limitation on the time that synchronous learning needs to be completed, but let your students take it on whenever they like in the specified time frame.

Asynchronous learning is fully flexible from the point of view of the course's creator's perspective since you can design an entire course and sell it an unlimited number of times. You can also teach any number of individuals. Asynchronous learning means you could "teach in your sleep". However, the issue is that students have a limited time in which to attend to the course will not be inexhaustibly scalable.

Many people have learned this lesson through experience but are now reluctant to paying money for online courses in the event that they aren't sure they have the mental capacity and time available to pay ATTENTION to it as well. This is an excellent sign as it shows that people are realizing that online courses isn't going to be beneficial until we take the time and effort required to gain from it.

What are Asynchronous Learning most effective for?

Asynchronous learning examples include:

• A fillable PDF
• Video
• An mp3 audio file
• A recorded replay of a class or webinar that was conducted live
•         A webinar that is automated
• A physical book
• A digital flipbook
• An interactive drag and drop activity
• An online quiz
• A threaded discussion forums

Asynchronous learning can provide benefits like:

• Flexibility
• Freedom
• Privacy
• An opportunity to reflect and revise
• Distance and perspective
• Repetability
• Automation
• Scalability
• Engaging with learning material and learner's personal thought methods

Asynchronous learning is great to prepare for classes as well as reading. It is also great for active, hands-on activities that students can do by themselves. The technology can be employed effectively for automated learner evaluation as well as automated feedback (for example, through an online survey or poll) and also to aid students apply the knowledge they've acquired to different areas of their life.

Asynchronous Learning: Pros, and Pros and

It is more difficult to design asynchronous online learning programs than to deliver live instruction in person. This is due to the fact that many of the tasks that instructors perform live during learning synchronous situations need to be planned and proactively built into online learning that is synchronous ahead of time.

Online learning that is synchronous must be carefully and skillfully developed by using instructional design top practices , if it's to work and efficient, in order that the educational materials themselves can serve to perform the functions (such as providing guided practice giving feedback, or correcting errors) that instructors normally do during live training.

That means to be effective, asynchronous learning requires a higher degree of instructional design skills in comparison to synchronous learning. In addition, the lack of instant feedback from learners means the course designers must ANTICIPATE students' requirements in advance (or be aware of them because they have conducted the same content in asynchronous manner).

If you have learned through previous experiences with synchronous learning where your learners are likely to ask questions or become stuck, you can plan your asynchronous course and learning material to deal with those concerns up front, leading to more effective learning as well as happier customers and lower tech support call.

Exploiting the potential of Synchronous and Asynchronous learning together:

The advantages of both

For any form of educational program, it's essential to take into consideration the benefits and limitations imposed by the teaching and learning situation. The affordances are the things that the context medium or the context allows you to do easily and effectively. The constraints are those that the circumstances or medium make it impossible or difficult to do.

     Combining synchronous and asynchronous learning using methods that make the best usage of these capabilities without compromising the limitations of either, will provide the best learning experience possible for your course participants.    

When to use any type of learning

In some cases, you'll be able weigh and balance what works best for each type of format once you've seen how actual students do. In the case of example, if you offer a weekly live class meeting (synchronous) followed by an asynchronous, self-paced activity to help your course participants implement and practice the material you taught in class and observe whether they perform the tasks independently, or not.

In the event that a week is allotted for completing a self-paced (asynchronous) course, many students put off the task until right before the next live (synchronous) class. This demonstrates the benefits of synchronous learning as a motivational tool. People often find it difficult to motivate themselves to act independently, however they will do so when faced by the obligation of being accountable to the instructor and their fellow students in person.

A solution that's proven effective has been live (synchronous) working sessions which allow course attendees to meet briefly using Zoom to discuss their plans to work on, then for the following half hour or so in separate rooms each working independently, before returning in the main room to discuss their work. The addition of co-working meetings is a method to incorporate the advantages of learning synchronously (such as community, sharing as well as accountability to other participants live) into an asynchronous task such as completing an task or homework.

One thing you should be mindful of is the fact that it is possible that the SAME course of study may be experienced synchronously by a few students in the online course, and in asynchronous fashion by others. For instance, those who are in regions that sleep in a group-based course are bound to experience classes that are live and synchronous with asynchronous timing via recorded replays.

What this means for the instructor is that it's important to keep the needs of both synchronous as well as asynchronous participants in mind, even in a single class. Discussions in class that are engaging and lively to experience on the spot, could seem disjointed and difficult to follow when viewed on the replay. One solution is to present the live instruction clearly, without the need for interruptions or comments, in order that those watching the replay will be able to follow the flow of the lecture... and then engage in lively discussion with those attending synchronously, after the lecturing portion of the program was completed.

There are some rules we could apply the best time to apply each kind of learning?

Yes, they are!

A sample curriculum that blends Learning that is synchronous and synchronous

You could teach the introductory course (about how to source ingredients) asynchronously. The reason is that the courses would mainly be presenting information, by using videos, PDFs and directories of suppliers, etc. What is important in these classes is for the students to engage with materials and online resources (such as supplier directories). It would not be important for learners to interact with one another or the instructor in real time. This means that you could quickly and effectively create asynchronous activities to help with the introduction part of your program. A few of the activities that are asynchronous like the main practice video for sourcing, could be reused in both course bundles. This could save some lesson development time.
 
 Once you get to the Artisanal baking techniques and Top tier cooking techniques courses, though, it will provide a more enriching learning experience through the use of online exercises. As the program is on the internet, students will need to do the actual food preparation in their own kitchen (asynchronously) and film themselves. It is possible to have all students go through all of the films and provide feedback using a the checklist. The whole process is done synchronously.

It would be a great way to add benefit to learners to this point when they gather synchronously to discuss their results in real-time. (Having some deadlines and knowing that they'll have to answer to peers during a live session, will be an added motivation to finish the synchronous actions completed). In live sessions, the aspiring bakers and chefs can inquire about their needs, discuss common challenges, exchange answers, share their experiences and engage in various types of live interaction that only be achieved when learners get with their peers in group settings.
 
 How you decide which tasks should be scheduled to run asynchronously as well as those that need to be live, will depend upon the particular lesson you are teaching. But here are some guiding principles to think about:

The synchronous method of learning is good for:

• Attracting the students' attention (for instance, by presenting a short humorous video)
• Informing them about what they will be learning
• Reminding them of what they already know
• The information is presented

The best way to learn is through synchronous learning. It's ideal in the middle hands-on stages in a learning process... where you provide guided practice as well as eliciting independent performance and provide feedback.

These are the 5th, 6th and the 7th stages of teaching, in which you ask learners to apply the new instruction and analyze what they're learning from the new instruction. In this stage of the learning sequence, learners are moving towards the middle of Bloom's taxonomy: taking the information they've learnt.

The distinction between having information available instead of actually learning to perform something that is new lies in following these hands-on implementation steps.

An online learning program which is completely asynchronous could be able to meet these requirements provided that the instructor follows the learning designs to ensure that every step is completed efficiently. Presenting learners with a short video is not enough.

As you progress to later stages of the learning process in the culinary master academy, it is possible to return to an asynchronous mode of learning, without degrading the learning experience for learners. The 8th and 9th of Gagne's events of instruction, "assess performance" and "help learners to extend and apply the knowledge they've acquired" are able to be accomplished asynchronously. You can provide assessment through a computer graded test, or a self-reflective journal. As a rule, learners will extend and transfer the knowledge they've acquired to their lives on their own time. We are now at the top of the Bloom's taxonomy which requires learners to evaluate their learning and use it to create something new. The privacy and time for reflection and creativity that are that asynchronous learning provides is ideal for learning that are of this type.

Extra factors to take into consideration

Other factors, aside from the flexible or fixed nature of scheduling can affect the efficacy of both synchronous and asynchronous training.

Because synchronous learning involves learners learning with each other in real-time, it is highly interactive and allows for spontaneous synergy, spontaneity and spontaneity to arise in the learning environment. It takes a high degree of teaching interpersonal skill for instructors to manage such a high-intensity interaction well (whether in a real classroomor an online).

It is essential to ensure that everyone in a live learning situation is able to access the learning environment is comfortable, and has an opportunity to engage and hear, may be a challenge, especially when the number of participants is large. In addition to the 15-20 participants in a live Zoom session, it is crucial to add a second person (or greater) to perform functions like supervise the chat room, allow late- comers into the room and also respond to questions to let the instructor present material while also accommodating the needs of all participants.

For example, some learners learn material that is auditory (such as taped lectures or podcast) best while performing different activities in the background like chores at home, exercising, or simply walking. The key is to allow the students to determine their best level of attention to sensory and wellbeing. Listening to a pre-recorded lecture at a time while walking on a treadmill could offer a far more attentive and engaging education than watching a talking head deliver the same content while you are forced to stay still on Zoom for an extended period for a long time without interaction with others.

The overall CONTEXT in the learning environment influences the quality of learning that is synchronous or asynchronous and. In a university or corporate training environment, participation in Asynchronous learning events is likely to be required to earn the grade required or meet the requirements of a training or work requirement. Students must be present on time at the designated time. Attendance will be taken and recorded, and non-attendance will result in a fine. This kind of obligation can make synchronous higher education activities difficult or impossible for parents of young kids, people who are employed full time or who live in flung times zones. The benefits of synchronous learning are better for such students.

People who have to attend a live meeting which takes them away from other duties, may consider the requirement to be synchronous a burden, or a welcome escape away from the routine. It's crucial for the person who is organising the event to consider whether a live synchronous meeting is truly necessary, is it possible to achieve be the same results or even better could be accomplished by having each participant be able to participate in the meeting on their own terms in their desks. (The quick and concise way of framing this is "Did this really need to be a formal meeting? Or could it have been an email ?")

Outside of university or corporate contexts, there are fewer external factors that come into play. There is more motivation within for learners to complete Asynchronous tasks independently, even though no grade or work consequence depends on them doing so. Although your course may be extremely motivating and well-designed, the urgent nature and other pressures on the time of your students can make it challenging for asynchronous coursework to compete... even when the learner really wants to complete the course. If there's no EXTERNAL motivations (such such as grade points or work obligations) that require attendance or completion of self-paced tasks, instructors have to be mindful of their learners' intrinsic motivations and include motivational aspects to encourage ongoing participation and engagement every step of the way even when the going gets challenging.

A best practice for adult education is to let the learner to control the speed of instruction. Some online course creators try to manage the pace of learners, through sprinkling out content on a schedule.

Drip scheduling attempts to put a degree of synchronicity on asynchronous online learning. Sometimes this can be effective. As an example, for a time-limited challenge where a cohort is going through a set of tasks day by day and day by day, it is sensible to drip the activities out one day at a time. (The reasons for this isn't so much because the time is being limited but. The reason for this is that being there to share the experiences with others can be a powerful motivator. )

It's up to you as the instructor to decide what works best for you and your learners. Importantly, you must consider all the angles. For example, if you're running a 10 day course and then you end the day's events once day 1 is completed, people will learn that you mean business and that they have to complete every activity on the day they are due. But, in the end, you've put yourself and your students into a corner, because those who failed to complete day 1 ON day 1 won't be capable of catching up on their own time and progress towards day 2.

The reality we face as online course creators (outside of the contexts where students have to complete the entire course in an online course for a mark or to fulfill a work requirement), is that we have to use a mixture of gentle reminders and enticements to help learners complete our course in a manner that will best meet their requirements.

The more engaging and motivating you can make your lessons most likely that people will complete them. One thing that strongly motivates adult learners is their ability to communicate with and get assistance from peers. The social aspect of the lessons you teach can be either synchronous (live class meetings or planned workshop sessions that require registration) or Asynchronous (threaded discussions groups, online forums chats, or discussion groups).

It'll be fascinating to determine what's most successful for your students as you see where they frequently show up and where they're the most active and engaged. Are you seeing greater participation during your (synchronous) live-streamed meetings or in your (asynchronous) Facebook or Community group discussions, as an example? It is ideal that you find an abundance of participants in both, and that you see your asynchronous and synchronous learning activities positively reinforcing the other!

The combination of live meetings, recordings of replays, and an online forum or community or group that is open all hours of the day, lets everyone participate using the method that works best for their needs. Actually, the concept of CHOICE, and of allowing adult learners the option of participating either synchronously or asynchronously according to their preferences and requirements is one of the most appealing features of the learning environment online.

  Conclusion  

Effective teaching, and effective learning, both take time. Teaching and learning is able to be linked onto the instructors' and/or students timetables, either in fixed or flexible ways.

Learning that is planned with fixed methods is synchronous...taking place during a particular date and time. Learning that is mapped in flexible ways is asynchronous...taking place at unspecified times of the instructors' or learner's choosing (but not at NO time. Learning that happens without a time limit is not asynchronous...it's just ineffective).
 
 This Line of Understanding from Learn and Get Smarter, Inc. incorporates Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction with Bloom's Taxonomy, and shows us that it is the middle stages of instruction (where learners must start applying the teaching and using the information on their own) when synchronous learning becomes most important and effective. If you choose to use synchronous learning at these stages instead is important to make sure that the correct instructional techniques include guided practice, independent performance and feedback so learners can achieve real effects instead of simply receiving details.

• Learning in synchronous mode requires teaching expertise and the capacity to manage spontaneous interpersonal interactions effectively, in real-time.
• Learning asynchronously is a requirement for learning design skill, and the capacity to construct an organized learning experience which your students will be taking by themselves, without the instructor and other students there live, to support them.

The combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning strategies which take advantage of what they do best can provide a multi-layered and extremely optimized learning experiences for your learners. The combination approach permits the interaction of students and also reflective reflection. It keeps your class in the eyes of everyone's eyes in a way that is both structured and flexible.