Synchronous and asynchronous learning tools

This article is part of a series around bridging synchronous and asynchronous learning, including guides on direct instruction , l earning activities , assessment and feedback, and questioning and discussion.

Explore additional resources via the linked text above and the linked articles below related to this challenge to help you foster engaging synchronous, asynchronous, and hybrid learning experiences across a variety of instructional practices.

This study compares the learning differences between students in an online writing course and an in-person writing course. Classroom Resources. View Resource How to create your own podcast Creating, editing, and distributing engaging audio content. For trials and free access, visit: www. Using a centralized hash tag, educators and students can correspond back and forth at a pre-specified time.

More info is available at www. Asynchronous learning tools give students greater control on their learning. The tools shown below are convenient, highly interactive, and allow learners to move at their own pace.

Some of these tools are available for free. Flipgrid: This remote learning tool allows educators to post video prompts. This video tool is free for educators and allows a convenient way for everyone to interact on their schedule. Lumos Learning: Lumos StepUp provides skills mastery, targeted remedial practice and guided practice for self-paced learning. To request a free demo or to run a free pilot, visit: www.

Presented in an interactive format, reviewing essential vocabulary or, and Once the call is complete, they can exit. For more info about this free tool, please visit www. ClassFlow: This lesson delivery software is hosted in the cloud. It provides a collaborative and interactive platform for educators and students. MindMeister: This tool allows students and educators to view and generate notes, brainstorming, and collaborative endeavours.

Coursework and communications delivered via web, email, and messages posted on community forums are perfect examples of asynchronous e-learning. In these instances, students will typically complete the lessons on their own and merely use the internet as a support tool rather than venturing online solely for interactive classes. A student is able to follow the curriculum at their own pace without having to worry about scheduling conflicts.

This may be a perfect option for users who enjoy taking their time with each lesson plan in the curriculum and would prefer to research topics on their own. However, those who lack the motivation to do the coursework on their own may find that they do not receive significant benefit from asynchronous learning.

Asynchronous learning can also lead to feelings of isolation, as there is no real interactive educational environment. Ideally, effective e-learning courses should include both asynchronous and synchronous learning activities.