Asynchronous and Synchronous e-Learning - EDUCAUSE Quarterly

Description

For e-learning initiatives to succeed, organizations and educational institutions must understand the benefits and limitations of different e-learning techniques and methods. Research can support practitioners by studying the impact of different factors on e-learning’s effectiveness. Two basic types of e-learning are commonly compared, asynchronous and synchronous. Until recently, e-learning initiatives mainly relied on asynchronous means for teaching and learning. However, recent improvements in technology and increasing bandwidth capabilities have led to the growing popularity of synchronous e-learning.

The media investigated in this article have been key in transforming the focus on e-learners as individuals to e-learners as social participants. A parallel move has occurred toward Web 2.0, which emphasizes the increasing use of the web to support social relations. This shift will surely lead to new ways of collaborating in online education. Initial efforts include the adoption in educational settings of emerging media such as virtual worlds, blogs, wikis, and video sharing, and synchronous software that supports audio and video.

An essential challenge is to critically study the benefits and limitations of emerging types of asynchronous, synchronous, and hybrid e-learning. This will facilitate understanding of the complex task ahead—taking advantage of emerging media in ways that benefit learning.

Original URL

http://connect.educause.edu/Library/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/AsynchronousandSynchronou/47683

http://connect.educause.edu/Library/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/AsynchronousandSynchronou/47683