Synchronous and Asynchronous Online Teaching: Strategies for Engaging Students

and Developing a Sense of Community

Lisa C. Yamagata-Lynch Associate Professor

Educational Psychology and Counseling Department

Teaching Experience 1998   Indiana  University  

Undergraduate  Face-­‐to-­‐Face    

2001   University  of  Utah  Undergraduate  and  Graduate  

Face-­‐to-­‐Face  

2004   Northern  Illinois  University  Undergraduate    Graduate  

Face-­‐to-­‐Face/Online-­‐Asynchronous    Face-­‐to-­‐Face  

2007   Northern  Illinois  University  Undergraduate    Graduate  

Face-­‐to-­‐Face/Online-­‐Asynchronous    Progressively  Blended  eventually  mostly  online/Face-­‐to-­‐Face  

2011-­‐  Present  

University  of  Tennessee  Graduate  

100%  Online  Blended  Synchronous  and  Asynchronous/Face-­‐to-­‐Face  

Core Teaching Beliefs

§  Good teaching is good teaching! §  Becoming a good teacher involves

practice, purposeful reflections asking hard questions, and implementation of action plans

§  Provide participants with meaningful learning activities to discover new knowledge and experiences

What I know about Online Teaching

§  Trial and error §  Designing and developing online

graduate programs §  Teaching IT532 Online Learning

Environments §  Reading and engaging in research

about online learning environments

Recommended Books §  Conrad, R.-M., & Donaldson, J. A. (2012).

Continuing to Engage the Online Learner: Activities and Resources for Creative Instruction. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

§  Lehman, R. M., & Conceição, S. C. O. (2010). Creating a Sense of Presence in Online Teaching: How to “Be There” for Distance Learners. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

§  Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2007). Building Online Learning Communities: Effective Strategies for the Virtual Classroom (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Getting Started

Analyze your Strengths and Weaknesses

§  Identify teaching strengths/what you like to do and think about how you can translate them into online teaching behaviors

§  Identify teaching weaknesses/what you don’t like to do and think about how you can enhance those teaching behaviors

What to do before your course begins….

Prepare syllabus with detailed schedule http://it532.lisayamagatalynch.net Participants need a clear sense of where the course is heading, and you will need it too so that you do not feel like you are constantly at the edge of a cliff.

Prepare your Blackboard Site with 3 weeks of Material Participants need to be able to plan their life to optimize their participation in an online course, and 3 weeks of material help them with planning. It will help you too, when you are not 3 weeks ahead you will encounter nasty surprises.

At least a month before the course launch, send introductory letter to participants Many participants are anxious about being in an online course, you might be too, the earlier you start your communication with participants it helps to keep all involved less anxious.

First Week of Class sets the Tone for the Rest of the

Semester

Spell out what you want to accomplish Model teaching and learning experiences Participants need to gain confidence on the first day of class that you know what you are doing, they can contact you with questions, they will be able to navigate your materials without feeling lost in a black hole of information.

Demonstrate that you know the content Participants appreciate mini-lectures that demonstrate you know the content, you can help them understand the content, and that there are clearly concepts they need to learn about the content in the course that are related to course objectives and their own goals.

Introductions cannot be redundant Participants appreciate introductions to get to know each other, feel that they are not alone “out there,” and to feel comfortable exchanging ideas with one another.

Provide, Review, Revise, and Establish Ground Rules Participants appreciate online course ground rules to clarify communication expectations. It will help students be more engaged.

Tips for Asynchronous Activities

Your role in Asynchronous Discussion

§  Choose a manageable topic to discuss, a meaningful discussion needs clear boundaries, scope, and focus

§  Demonstrate that you are present §  Provide an Kickoff, Middle Week, and

Wrap Up Announcement

Your role in Asynchronous Discussion—continued

§  Raise questions to help participants engage in meaningful discussion

§  Synthesize participant discussion §  Can be good source of formative

feedback for your future preparations

Expectations need to be clear Activities can bring experiences out of the class into the class Participants value explicit instructions for asynchronous activities including the task, due date, and peer grouping. You need to engage in the discussions to show that you are present.

Assign Peer Rotations for Smooth Discussion Flow Participant discussion tend to flow when it is clear whose initial post they should be responding to, they gain a sense of accountability, and if there are participants who do not engage in the activity peers can report to you.

Tips for Synchronous Activities

Your role in Synchronous Discussion

§  Remember to hit record or set auto record

§  Pace the session, keep participants in general on time

§  You are in charge of who has the microphone and video on and off

§  Encourage all participants to engage in conversation this may mean you ask direct questions to specific participants

§  Remember to end recording

Start class on time, communicate that participants are in class space, use USB headphones/microphone, and use video Participants feel more connected to the class being able to see the instructor through the video stream, and they also need visuals to direct their attention.

Start the class with the Agenda Participants like to to know where the session is heading. It also gives opportunity for questions.

Always take time for Logistical Check In Participants do not have the opportunity to communicate to you with their facial expression, whispering to one another, and general body expression to let you know they have a question. Create a free for all question time slot.

Summarize asynchronous discussions, highlight interesting discussions that took place, ask for participant input Participants need to see that you read their work, you saw that they were making connections between activities and course content, and that you can demonstrate new ways for participants to make connections between discussions and content

During transitions from one activity to another, provide obvious cues for students to ask questions and welcome comments

Engage participants in active group work during synchronous sessions Participants can only pay attention to so much lecturing, in order to make their synchronous time with the course meaningful you need to provide experiences that cannot be achieved asynchronously.

Finish with individual catch up time with you, individual work time, or team meeting time Participants appreciate that their online instructor and their peers are available for course related meetings.

Summary Participant Comment —Student Anonymous Evaluation Comment— The assignments both synchronous activities and asynchronous assignments were very helpful in developing my skills. I loved the unlimited interaction I had with my peers and instructor through the discussion board and synchronous activities. I especially loved how we rotated each week, I got to interact with all my peers at one time or another throughout the course. Although this is an online course, I had more interaction with my peers than I have had in some face-to-face courses. I also found the both visual and audio components of the course contributed to my learning. It was much easier to pay attention to class time when I could both see and hear my instructor and peers.

For more information on course development experience Yamagata-Lynch, L. C. (2014). Blending online asynchronous and synchronous learning. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 15(2). Retrieved from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/1778

For an example of a Synchronous Session http://youtu.be/TaImS3zKMtI A LiveOnline session with a breakout room activity and discussion

Questions?

Breakout Activity

What do you think you might do?

§  Work on your own and review the suggestions provided in this presentation, pick 2 that you think you can incorporate into your online/flipped/blended course and plan how you would customize them

§  Find a partner and share your plan §  Be prepared to share with the entire

group

Whole Group Discussion of Activity

Questions?

Thank You!