The Value of Synchronous Communication in Online Learning Environments

SYNCH AND SWIM:
The Value of Synchronous Communication
Michael Coghlan
November 14th, 2010

What is synchronous/asynchronous communication?
SYNCHRONOUS (real time) eg f2f conversation, telephone calls, chat rooms
ASYNCHRONOUS – some delay between initial communication and the reply eg letters, email, forums

COMMUNICATION AXIS
Most classroom communications take place here
New – have been enabled by technology (only happen online)

Range of Synchronous Tools
Instant messengers: Google Talk, Skype, Yahoo, MSN (text + voice)
Peer to Peer/Collaborative Tools: eg Etherpad (documents), Mind Mapping, Whiteboards, etc
Virtual Classrooms
Proprietary: Elluminate, Adobe Connect, etc
Free: Wiziq, DimDim, Vyew

Virtual Worlds: Second Life
See
Second
Life in
Education

Use of Synchronous Tools – Survey
Why are synchronous tools important?
Approx 50/50 split between pedagogical and social/affective reasons
Pedagogy: immediacy of feedback (30%)
(results at http://users.chariot.net.au/~michaelc/synch/surv_results.htm)

Social/Affective Benefits
Social, community, and personal engagement
personal engagement/motivation (55%)
community building (29%)
improving the social experience (27%)
(results at http://users.chariot.net.au/~michaelc/synch/surv_results.htm)

Tension: Synch v Asynch
Terry Anderson, Toward a Theory of Online Learning:
“….the major motivation for enrollment in distance education isnot physical access, but rather, temporal freedom to move through a course of studies at a pace of the student’s choice.” Participation in (synchronous events) “almost inevitably places constraints on thisindependence.”
“ Thedemands of a learning-centered context might at times force us tomodify prescriptive participation in (synchronous events),even though we might have evidence that such participation willfurther advance knowledge creation and attention.”

Resolving the tension between asynchronous and synchronous approaches
don’t make synch sessions compulsory; use synch for those who want it
use tools that can record or archive the sessions for later retrieval
don’t use synchronous for whole class instruction
use for meetings, one-on-one, or in small groups
offer informal (social) sessions in synch mode
allow student use of synchronous space
offer office hours sessions at set times

Resolving the tension between asynchronous and synchronous approaches
It’s not all or nothing – use both approaches:
Synch for social, spontaneous, decision making
Asynch for deliberation, reflection, considered opinion

What kinds of synchronous activities can you use in classrooms?
TEACHING
‘straight lecture’
Guest lecturers
Oral presentations
Group work
One on one (eg pronunciation)
OTHER
Office hours
Social: student - student

NEAR
SYNCHRONOUS
TOOLS

What’s this?

Twitter as a real time search tool?
May 2008: “Twitter beats media in reporting China earthquake."
An almost real time search tool
Now being used by some as an alternative search tool to Google
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29281982@N00/101951607/

TRACKING THE BACK CHANNEL
http://www.slideshare.net/mchaelc/tracking-the-back-channel

BACKCHANNEL TOOLS
Direct or instant messaging in web conferencing tools (eg Centra, Elluminate)
Live blogging tools like Cover It Live
Live polling tools like Poll Everywhere
Micro Messaging tools: Twitter, Yammer

Cover It Live

Question
Why do you think it is important to include synchronous tools in online courses?

The Value of Synchronous Communication in Online Learning Environments

by michaelc on Nov 16, 2010

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