In the previous pages you have seen a number of references to synchronous and asynchronous learning activities. Blended learning models have put a completely new perspective on these. Traditionally, synchronous activities could be in-class lectures, seminars, labs etc all done on campus. But the pandemic has thrown many teachers online and with that has come a realisation that many activities that you thought would only work on campus actually work pretty well online.

A good example is the case described by Jennifer Wallace, a nursing educator who shared the process of moving an in-person lab to an online format during COVID.

Making decisions

This page will get you thinking about how to design your learning activities with the idea of synchronous and asynchronous delivery at the forefront.

Which learning activities work best synchronously?
Which learning activities work best asynchronously?
Do you really need to replicate your classroom activities if you teach synchronously in Zoom?
Which tools can you use for the asynchronous activities and which for your synchronous activities and what would you hope to achieve?

Watch and reflect:

To do: Think about how synchronous and asynchronous learning activities can be used in your teaching.

Can you give short examples that fit the following situations. These could be based on your own experiences of teaching or learning, or a situation that you can imagine:
1. A situation where synchronous learning is appropriate and beneficial in supporting learning.
2. A situation where asynchronous learning is appropriate and beneficial in supporting learning

What is Synchronous and Asynchronous learning

This video is 4.50 minutes. Chris Tuffnell compares synchronous and asynchronous activities and gives examples of when to use them. He also summarises the potential benefits of each.