Facilitating Synchronous and Asynchronous Formats
One
of the things I am excited about is that I am going to facilitate both an
asynchronous and a synchronous class. While they sound like the same word, they
mean two different things. Synchronous learning is best explained as learning
in real time. People involved in the webinar or the video conferencing are all
online at the same times. An advantage to this is that feedback can be
immediate, such as seeing each other online and able to talk. A major
disadvantage would be that this format is not flexible and if not available at
that time, they are out of luck. Asynchronous is the opposite, meaning that it
allows flexibility. For example, the student can access the material at any time. (Grant & Cheon, 2007).
Looking
at the differences is important to me because my views are a bit different. I
have done a synchronous facilitation when I worked at a former employer. I
created a PowerPoint Presentation and had a class in the room to ask questions
when they watched. We also streamed live online where people who registered
could ask questions. My major concern with this was how I looked online and
whether my information would be stolen. I had that happen before and it was
scary. I’m not really concerned about this happening again but am concerned
that students will have a hard time either understanding me or understanding
the topic. I also worry about making sure the lesson is presented at a time
where people can join in. I do expect to use my skills to build a
clear lesson that all will understand. I am completely new to asynchronous
learning, so my major concern is being able to make sure the information
relates no matter when they look at it. One thing I will likely do different is
not post a date because they can watch at any time. I can use most of the same formats
but for synchronous I will be able to speak while facilitating.
In
general, for both assignments I am concerned about making the presentation user
friendly and versatile to all learning styles, which is why I will include it
in various formats. I can create a PowerPoint, use conferencing on Blackboard,
even audio, video and photos. Since I have strong computer software skills, I
am looking forward to using them and learning new skills. My major hope is to
create a learning experience that is versatile to every student. I cannot wait
to learn both types of conferencing, so I can become an even better online
teacher.
Bibliography
Grant,
M., & Cheon, J. (2007). The Value of Using Synchronous Conferencing for
Instruction and Students. Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 211-224.
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