Synchronous & Asynchronous Learning

There are two basic formats of learning in an online environment.

Synchronous learning

Synchronous learning is any activity in an online course that happens in real-time, like a BlueJeans or MS Teams meeting or a chat. It requires all participants to be in the same online environment, actively participating at the same time. It is typically characterized by opportunities for interaction between the instructor and students and amongst students, such as a Q & A, a Class Discussion or Office Hours.

Asynchronous learning

Asynchronous learning is all the other activities in an online course that students can complete on their own schedule. While there may still be due dates, students can generally complete these any time within the given timeline for the task. These activities can include video lectures, readings, assignments and group discussions or collaborative tasks.

See the full infographic on synchronous and asynchronous learning

When should I use synchronous learning?

As we continue with flexible delivery, it seems logical to want to take a classroom experience that works well and try and replicate it in the online environment. However, we have to consider that as we change environments, we also need to adapt. BlueJeans and MS Teams are not the same as a classroom experience - the live online environment does not offer the same engagement as a physical classroom, and there are many more opportunities for distraction online. In addition, there are many barriers in getting students to connect online at the same time in the same place.

This being said, synchronous sessions can be effective to enhance the rest of the course when designed to take advantage of the interactive elements the tool has to offer. A synchronous session is best served by complementing other online activities and increasing teacher and social presence through interaction.

Considering the access disadvantages of synchronous learning and the many advantages to asynchronous learning, the best use of synchronous meetings like BlueJeans and MS Teams sessions are when instructors are making the most of what synchronous learning can do in a course.

This means taking advantage of the opportunities for interaction, feedback and social engagement.

When to use it:

• To provide opportunities for you as the instructor to interact with your students, for example a question and answer period
• To check in with students and collect feedback on their learning (for example, using polls to check understanding)
• For activities where students interact with each other (for example, in break out rooms) on a specific, focused task that requires real-time interaction
• For Group presentations (consider splitting BlueJeans and MS Teams session to have 3-4 groups at a time)
• For Office Hours

When not to use it:

• To lecture for a duration over 20 minutes
• To do worked problems (i.e. walking through the steps of solving a problem) and demonstrations
• For class discussions and group work that do not require real-time interaction, and which might require careful consideration, analysis, constructive exchange, etc.

If you do plan to run synchronous sessions, make sure to have a clear goal and create a detailed plan for each minute of the session that takes advantage of the time you have with your students and makes the most of the time the students have with you.

How long should a synchronous session be?

Keeping in mind that a BlueJeans and MS Teams classroom is not the same as a face-to-face classroom because of the connectivity challenges and the nature of online environments, it is not recommended to hold 2 hour long BlueJeans or MS Teams sessions. The ideal length of a BlueJeans and MS Teams session should be 45-60 minutes.