Sunshine,
I do too. When I offer synchronous meetings to review for a test or online office hours, etc. students take advantage of them. Thanks for your input.
I enjoy a blend. It is nice to get to know students face to face and it is also nice for them to be able to contact you at their convenience. In the online environment students can send an IM anytime they see you online which helps when they need a questions answered right away. As an online instructor I do much of my teaching through email responding to questions which a student might typically be embarrassed to ask in a classroom. One of the best aspects to the asynchronous program is the availability of chat archives. What an amazing tool to be able to rewind and pause a lecture!
As you point out, asynchronous learning offers tht flexibility that many students need. This is why many students choose distance education.
However, offering supplemental (and optional) synchronous sessions allows for more social learning, which is important in the education process. I find that many students choose to take advantage of these optional synchronous sessions and truly benefit from them.
P.,
I like the tweak it aspect. We all need to assess what we are doing and tweak. Thanks.
Lisa and David,
Connections wi students are important no matter how you do it. I use Adobe Presenter, Blackboard and email mainly for asynchronous communication and Adobe Connect Professional for synchronous learning. Use what you can to make your connections with students.
Anne,
You are right. Students are all different and we, as instructors, need to analyze our audience - the students. The better we know them, the better we can provide content to students to help them achieve the learning outcomes. Thanks.
One of the things that online education has going for it is the ability to have it mesh with one's need for flexibility. Thus, in my institution -- no, I don't mean "the funny farm," though sometimes I think that's possibly where I am headed -- we have a mix, but the majority of the mix is asynchronous. There are synchronous classed each day -- usually two hours -- and the balance of the hours necessary are done when it is convenient for the student. Many students who attend online university do so BECAUSE that need that flexibility and it works for them. My motto is "If it ain't broke, don't fix it, just tweak it here and there." :)
Hi David -
Great point! I prefer a synchronous class for the same reasons our students do. What I find is that with a weekly video and IM availability, students are quite happy with the instructor connection they have. What do you use to connect with students in the synchronous courses?
Lisa
I know that we have heard it before, but it depends on the students. Often, I find, students don't know what they need or what is the best for them. They haven't done the analysis. For those students, a flipped class or blended class is a great first class. They can find their learning rhythm and then choose when modality is for them.
David,
There is flexibility in asynchronous learning so a blend is many times the best method if possible. The key in any online environment is communication and engagement. The instructor must use a variety of methods to engage students in all environments.
