Deciding Between Synchronous and Asynchronous Learning at Wichita State (Full Transcript)

Speaker 1: As professors across the Wichita State campus decide how to deliver their hybrid and online courses, many will ask the question, should I require synchronous contact? Before you make the decision between synchronous or asynchronous learning in your class, let's take a moment to define the terms and consider the merits of each format. Synchronous learning happens in real time and can be delivered in an in-person or online format. When learning is synchronous, students and professors are engaged in course content at the same time. This engagement allows for easy give-and-take discussion, quick answers to questions, and a learning environment that can be highly social. Synchronous learning is familiar to both professors and students because traditional in-person classes meet synchronously. Synchronous delivery is a good fit for classes that serve first-year students who are learning how college works, rely on Socratic delivery of content, and depend on current events for content. Online synchronous delivery is robust and can be more satisfying to professors because it retains elements of the in-class teaching experience. Students often find synchronous events to be satisfying as well. Nevertheless, synchronous delivery can have some downsides when attempted online. So before you adopt it, consider that not all students can commit to a set learning schedule when they are working from home. Some students do not have the technology required for easy interaction, so they may not have the same experience as students with more resources, and you may find that your synchronous content may not be preserved easily for review later. On the other hand, asynchronous delivery, where professors generate online content in advance and students engage with it on their own schedules, has its own pros and cons. Where synchronous delivery supports a high degree of student engagement, asynchronous delivery supports individualized learning. Students can take the time they each need to grasp and master concepts and skills because they don't have to try to keep up with real-time class delivery. Asynchronous learning is a great choice for students who are self-disciplined and comfortable with college-level learning, concepts and skills that are complex or technical, and material that is slow to change over time. Asynchronous delivery is often popular with students because of its flexible nature, but it can be less satisfying to professors who must provide student engagement opportunities in new and unfamiliar ways. As you work to design your hybrid or online course, it is worth thinking through both synchronous and asynchronous delivery methods. You have choices to make, some of which include if you have synchronous elements in your class, will those be required? If you want to retain synchronous lectures, can those be recorded and presented online for asynchronous viewing later? How will asynchronous requirements be scheduled so students still have structure? Where will your classroom engagement come from? These decisions are yours, but you don't have to make them alone. If you would like help thinking through your hybrid course options, let Instructional Design and Access help you. After all, that's our motto, you teach, we help.