The terms “synchronous” and “asynchronous learning” are now common when we talk about online education, but these concepts also exist in traditional classrooms. Synchronous learning happens when instructors and students learn together at the same scheduled time in the same space, whether it’s online or in person, allowing for real-time interaction. Asynchronous learning, on the other hand, allows students to learn at their own speed, accessing materials and interacting with peers over a more extended timeframe.
Instead of seeing these as two completely separate choices, it’s more useful to think of learning as a range of experiences from fully synchronous to fully asynchronous. On the synchronous end, you have activities like live online lectures and real-time video discussions. At the asynchronous end, activities include watching recorded lectures, reading materials, and participating in online discussion forums. In between, there are blended approaches that combine both, such as giving students tasks to complete independently during a scheduled synchronous session before rejoining online to share their findings.
A diagram illustrating the spectrum from synchronous to asynchronous learning, showing examples like live webinars on one end and self-paced modules on the other.
While the best course design depends on what you want students to learn and the subject matter, most online courses benefit from using both asynchronous and synchronous activities. Synchronous learning is excellent for creating immediate social interaction and quick information exchange. It helps build a sense of community and clarify misunderstandings more rapidly (Dawson, 2006; Giesbers et al., 2013, 2014; Hrastinski et al., 2010). However, it requires everyone to be available at the same time, which can be challenging with different time zones, and it can be affected by technical problems and internet access issues. Asynchronous learning provides more flexibility in time. This allows students more time to explore and really engage with the material (Davidson-Shivers et al., 2001) and makes education accessible to a broader group of students.
This article is part of a series exploring ways to bridge synchronous and asynchronous learning, including guides on effective online teaching methods, engaging learning activities, assessment and feedback strategies, and techniques for questioning and discussion in online environments. Explore these resources to help you create engaging learning experiences that effectively use synchronous, asynchronous, and blended approaches in your teaching.
