Synchronous Tools and Asynchronous Tools
The image used in this
post is of a small group of students sitting in a room together, (seemingly)
energetically talking about the issues at hand. This is an example of synchronous discussion—the
students are in the same room, ostensibly discussing the same topic (the
caption says they are “debating search engine liability,” which sounds really
interesting to me, at least). When we teach in the physical classroom, we are
engaged in synchronous communication with the students. We hope that when they
get into small groups they carry on the same sort of lively real-time
interaction that we’ve modeled for them as we move around the classroom.
But if you teach online,
you might employ a synchronous model—”same time, different place”—or an asynchronous model—”different
time, different place.” Or, you might use a combination of tools to meet a
variety of scholarly needs.Or, you might teach in a physical classroom, face to
face with your students, yet still employ one or more of these communications
methods.
Below is a partial list
of synchronous and asynchronous communication tools—file this under “things to
think about” if not implement at some point in your teaching career. A word of
advice—more like common sense, actually—don’t throw a lot of different tools at
your students all at once (unless it is a class specifically about tools).
As with any tool, carefully consider its use before offering it as an option,
and certainly before requiring its use (unless you’re ready to
be a role model, to play tech support, and to be a cheerleader).
Synchronous Tools
If using the “same time,
different place” model of communication, some common barriers to implementation
of synchronous tools are cost and bandwidth—not only cost and bandwidth on your
end, as the individual teacher or the institution, but also to the students.
This is especially true with conferencing systems; video/web
conferencing requires equipment to deliver but also to receive. Although the
benefits of real-time video conferencing are clear—it’s as near to a physical
classroom environment as you can get—the software, hardware, and bandwidth
necessary on both sides can be more cost-prohibitive than actually physically
attending a class.
Some learning management
systems/e-learning systems/virtual learning environments have integrated
synchronous tools within the delivery platform—here I’m thinking specifically
about Blackboard’s integrated
chat and whiteboard features. Although there are still software, hardware, and
bandwidth requirements for these tools, the requirements are likely not as
cost-prohibitive as those required for video conferencing.
But when thinking about
setting up synchronous discussion, don’t discount the basic, free, “old school”
group instant messaging platform, ICQ.
Asynchronous Tools
But when it comes to
virtual communication in support of our classes, asynchronous communication is
by far the more popular model if for no other reason than the barriers to
implementation tend to be much lower—many of these tools are free and require
minimal hardware and software. The drawbacks of asynchronous tools are that
they are by nature less timely and efficient—they are asynchronous, after
all. However, planned excursions with asynchronous tools can turn into
synchronous events. In other words, if students and instructors all happen to
be logged in to a discussion board, conversation can happen in near-real time.
Common examples of
“different time, different place” tools include:
- Discussion boards: whether integrated into your online learning
environment or not (such as Google
Groups), well-managed discussion board can produce incredibly rich
conversations about the topics at hand.
- Blogs: my personal favorite, as not only are the
students discussing with one another (and the instructor), but they’re learning
something about writing for a wider audience who may or may not be listening
in. The open nature of blogs also allows for communication between students in
other classes at other institutions who are studying the same topics. You might
have to make “comment on blogs” count for a grade in order for some students to
do it, but such is the nature of the beast—those students probably wouldn’t
talk in class, either.
- Social Networking
Sites: Facebook and
Twitter can play important roles in your asynchronous communications strategy.
Facebook pages for a class can be the destination for up-to-date information
about the course, without your students having to friend you (or even one
another). Twitter, and Twitter lists, can be useful sites of asynchronous
discussion, although not in the threaded format that one is used to seeing in a
discussion board setting.
- E-mail/Listservs: Some people consider mailing lists to be quaint
relics of a previous technological age, but it’s hard to argue with the fact
that they still work: an e-mail based discussion list does afford one the
ability to carry on threaded discussions in a private environment, yet outside
the confines of a managed system (for discussion boards). In fact, Google
Groups (referenced above) is a threaded discussion board that can also take
place via e-mail, putting a different twist on the typical concept of the listserv.
Regardless of the tool or
set of tools that you use, be sure your communication plan is clear to
your students. Online communication does have rules, just like face-to-face
communication. Set guidelines as well as expectations, and use only those tools
that you’ve evaluated and which clearly enhance your teaching and student
learning.
Reference:
http://www.chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/tools-for-synchronousasynchronous-classroom-discussion/22902
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