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7 DAY 2: Planning for Online Blended Learning

DAY 2: Planning for Online Blended Learning

  1. DAY 2: Overview

  2. Synchronous and Asynchronous Teaching: A Deeper Look

  3. When, Why and How to Use Synchronous Teaching?

  4. What does Online Teaching Look Like: The Bandwidth Immediacy Matrix

  5. Limitations of synchronous and asynchronous Teaching

  6. Online Blended Learning Formats

  7. DAY 2: Discussion Activity

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DAY 2: Overview

In this module, we will be exploring the concept of online blended learning further and looking at various formats that could be considered. You will have the opportunity to think about your teaching context and what approaches, strategies and technologies might be valuable for you to consider.

Learning Objectives

By the end of Day 2, you will be able to:

  • Articulate the strengths and drawbacks of both synchronous and asynchronous teaching
  • Identify appropriate situations for using synchronous versus asynchronous teaching 
  • Identify key aspects of your own course that could be effectively transitioned to an asynchronous approach

 

Guiding Questions

Consider the following questions:

  • When, why and how synchronous and asynchronous teaching are best used in your course?
  • How could you combine them and based on what criteria?
  • To what extent the technology would motivate this choice?

 

Readings & Resources

Course Readings

We have curated a small number of informative readings and resources.

Further Readings

Going Further with The Online Teaching Program

 

Discussion Activity (15 minutes)

In Day 2, you will discuss how synchronous and asynchronous can be combined in your course, and start thinking about your role in both modalities. See more instructions here. 

 


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Synchronous and Asynchronous Teaching: A Deeper Look

We’ve introduced synchronous and asynchronous teaching in Day 1. This module will provide additional perspective for you to consider.

 

Video: A Question of Time (11:20 min)

In this video, Stoo Sepp (UBC, ETS) explains the difference between online courses and face-to-face courses that can be summarized in one word: TIME. 

Title: Transitioning to Teaching Online: Time
Duration: 11:20 min.
YouTube: https://youtu.be/UgCbRHFYteI

 

About Synchronous and Asynchronous Teaching and Learning

“Teaching online doesn’t necessarily mean teaching in real time. Online teaching can be synchronous, asynchronous, or a mixture of both”.
(Ho, M. From Face-to-Face Instruction to Online Teaching: Practical Considerations for Synchronous and Asynchronous Teaching and Learning, April 29, 2020).   

Synchronous teaching can be perceived as a replicate of the face-to-face experience, where you and your students engage with the course material and each other at the same time. For example, during a lecture where you teach or demonstrate a concept of the course and students have a chance to ask questions about the material.

On the other hand, asynchronous teaching allows you and your students to engage with the course material and each other at different times. For example, you can create a lecture recording or short video clip for students to watch on their own, or facilitate a discussions on Canvas.

You can also blend these modalities to optimize meaningful learning experiences; the format will vary from one course to another based on your course and student needs.

You may ask yourself the following question: What considerations should be explored when transitioning from face-to-face to online teaching? 

 

Guiding Questions: Defining Your Context

Based on the definitions of synchronous and asynchronous teaching, think about your course and try to determine:

  • What may work best synchronously?
  • What may work best asynchronously?

You may want to consider instructional strategies (e.g. lecturing, lab work), learning activities (group work, case studies, etc.) and assessment methods (quizzes, assignments). 

 

When, why, how?

Depending on the types of activities happening synchronously or asynchronously, it is worth considering when, why and how to facilitate them or put them into practice. The table below provides some examples of ways to approach the two different modalities. 

 

Asynchronous

Synchronous
When?  – Reflecting on complex issues or content that students can learn on their own – When synchronous meetings cannot be scheduled – Discussing less complex issues – Getting acquainted – Planning tasks
Why? – Students have more time to reflect, can control their own learning (self-regulated learning). – More independence and flexibility in managing their time – Maintain “physical presence” – Students become more committed and motivated because of quick response expected. – When immediate feedback is required (e.g. activities, assessment)
How? – Various tools available within Canvas (Discussions, Groups, Modules, Assignments, Quizzes, Kaltura, Library Online Course Reserves) – Video conferencing tools (Collaborate Ultra, Zoom)

Source: https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/synchronous-online-classes-10-tips-engaging-students/ 

 


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When, Why and How to Use Synchronous Teaching?

Although synchronous teaching has limitations and challenges in terms of bandwidth , there is a space for synchronous teaching  in our teaching. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons we might consider including synchronous activities in your courses.

The Value of Synchronous Teaching

On the previous page, we discussed some of the strengths of synchronous and asynchronous teaching. Let’s look in a more detail about some reasons that we may decided to include synchronous elements in our teaching. According to  Finkelstein (2006) synchronous teaching can provide immediacy, assess different skills, and connect in ways that we cannot always achieve with asynchronous course elements.  Finkelstein suggests the following indicators for using Synchronous tools:

 

Indicator

Rationale
Lessons are best learned from group discussions or collaboration Learners can discuss, collaborate, construct knowledge and work together in real time. 
Deeper appreciation for and understanding of the subject matter is desired A good instructor not only teaches but also inspires. This conveyed through conviction, impassioned, gestures, spontaneity, humour in real-time
A safe environment for exploration and sharing and a sense of community are vital to achieving learning objectives Live online settings can be places to quickly and efficiently build that sense of community and cooperation
Learning involves rehearsal, demonstration and assessment of particular skills, for example, communication, analytical thinking, real-time problem solving, information literacy Real-time venues afford opportunities to provide instruction and assess learners in ways that are highly impractical, if not impossible in an asynchronous manner.
Information is complex and guidance is necessary A knowledgeable instructor can walk learners through material that is difficult to absorb independently and teach them methods for deciphering complex information they may encounter later on their own. 
Dialogue or debate among learners is required. Few course communication options can allow the immediacy and spontaneity of debate that synchronous tools offer.
The situation calls for personal real-time attention Reacting to a learner’s present state and concerns, and providing support and reinforcement for the moment of need are skills more aptly dispensed in real-time.

Adapted from Finkelstein, J. (2006). Learning in real time: Synchronous teaching and learning online. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Guiding Questions

Which of the indicators described by Finkelstein are important in your teaching?
Are there indicators on this list that you feel could be achieved just as well with asynchronous activities?

 


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What does Online Teaching Look Like: The Bandwidth Immediacy Matrix

As we have seen in the previous module, we know that online teaching can be synchronous, asynchronous or a blend of both modalities.  But in practice, how do these online teaching methods compare to face-to-face instruction? We explore below the Bandwidth Immediacy Matrix developed by Daniel Stanford (2020).

 

Bandwidth Immediacy Matrix

Daniel Stanford presents a two-by-two graphical representation based on bandwidth and immediacy. 

  • Bandwidth is the rate of data transfer, with online tools ranging from low bandwidth (e.g. email) to high bandwidth (e.g. video conferencing tools). Some educational tools require fast and reliable internet access, which can represent a barrier to students who live in rural communities with unreliable internet connection.
  • Immediacy is how fast we expect individuals to interact with us and with each other. Face-to-face office hours have a fast response time between the instructor and student, whereas email correspondence is less immediate.

Stanford suggests that instructors make use of low-bandwidth tools that lend themselves to a sense of immediacy, like collaborative documents and group chat. We’re not suggesting that all synchronous instruction should be avoided, but rather that a balance of approaches may be called for in these extraordinary circumstances.

bandwidth vs immediacy

Source: https://www.iddblog.org/videoconferencing-alternatives-how-low-bandwidth-teaching-will-save-us-all/

Sanford designates four zones by placing bandwidth (vertical axis) and immediacy (horizontal axis) together:

1. Yellow zone (high bandwidth, low immediacy): asynchronous options, such as pre-recorded audio or videos. To be effective, these methods require careful planning, time for development and implementation. 

What resources exist at UBC? (click to expand)

  • If you need to record your lectures, Camtasia (recording and editing software) and Kaltura (online video storage/streaming) can be used to capture and share them with your students. Kaltura is available within Canvas through My Media (your personal space to upload and create videos) and the Media Gallery (where you and the students can upload, create and share videos).
  • The quickest way to do this is by recording your presentation slides as you talk over them and then uploading your recording to Canvas. For more information, please visit the Keep Teaching Website at https://keepteaching.ubc.ca/lectures/#record

2. The Red zone (high bandwidth and high immediacy): these methods intend to replicate face-to-face teaching and natural conversations, but are often not accessible to everyone. They hold time constraints for students who are not always in the same time zone and can generate anxiety for students to join them. Recording these live sessions can help address some of these concerns.

What resources exist at UBC? (click to expand)

  • You can use Collaborate Ultra (available within Canvas) for classes below 250 students. For classes over 250 students, we recommend using Zoom. Both tools allow synchronous interaction with participants, with a chat room, polling feature and breakout rooms for group work. More details on the Keep Teaching site at https://keepteaching.ubc.ca/lectures/#real-time-collaborate.

3. The Green zone (low bandwidth, low immediacy): these are unappreciated methods that have been widely used in online learning for many years. Examples include file sharing, discussion boards, email. These tools provide a practical foundation and are often easy to integrate into your teaching practice.

What resources exist at UBC? (click to expand)

  • You can use Canvas to upload and share files (PowerPoint slides, Word documents, PDF, etc.), create pages of content, structure the course materials using Modules, and assess students using Assignments and Quizzes.
  • Canvas allows you to communicate effectively with students through Announcements, Emails and Discussions.

4. The Blue zone (low bandwidth, high immediacy): these modalities focus on practical immediacy such as engaging in group chats and working on collaborative documents (e.g. Google Docs). They can be synchronous and asynchronous and focus on learner-learner and learner-instructor engagement. 

What resources exist at UBC? (click to expand)

  • The UBC Wiki and the UBC Blogs can support collaborative work asynchronously.
  • Other collaborative tools (not supported at UBC): Padlet, a virtual board which allows users to publish post-in notes using text, images, hyperlinks or videos. Padlet can be used for synchronous and asynchronous collaborative tasks.

 

Note: If you are wondering about the internet coverage in Canada, Tony Bates provides an overview of the policy and actual implementation with a comparison between the Canadian population, rural communities and first nations: https://www.tonybates.ca/2020/04/28/online-learning-and-covid-19-internet-coverage-in-canada/ 

 


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Limitations of synchronous and asynchronous Teaching

Now that you have a better sense of the affordances of synchronous and asynchronous teaching, it is important to consider the limitations. The University of Waterloo has developed a Keep Learning resource that provides an interesting overview of the advantages and disadvantages of synchronous and asynchronous teaching. 

Advantages and Disadvantages of Synchronous Learning

Synchronous Advantages
 Synchronous Disadvantages
  • Students can ask questions and get answers in real-time, as the session is proceeding.
  • The instructor can gauge the students understanding in real-time, and adjust the session accordingly.
  • Students feel an increased sense of the instructor actually “being there” – that is, more social presence and instructor presence.
  • Instructors can facilitate workshop-style classes and run breakout group activities
  • Live chats or office hours allow for real-time interaction, like a conversation.
  • Some students might not be able to participate at the required time due to technical or scheduling problems. Some students might be in different time zones. 
  • AODA (accessibility) requirements may be more difficult to meet – for example, providing captioning for a live presentation.

 

Advantages and Disadvantages of Asynchronous Learning

Asynchronous Advantages Asynchronous Disadvantages
  • Recorded sessions allow students time to digest the session content and/or conduct further research before posing questions in a discussion group. This is better for more deliberate thinkers and also, in some cases, for students whose first language is not English.
  • Students can access the course content, and interact with the instructor and their peers, whenever it suits their schedule.
  • Students can re-watch recorded sessions to deepen their learning, or to review content prior to a final exam. Students can likewise review threads in discussion groups long after those discussions have taken place.
  • More democratic: during a live session, only a small number of students will be able to ask questions; in an online discussion group all students can pose questions or make comments.
  • Allows students to work around unanticipated challenges such as falling sick for a week, or dealing with a family emergency.
  • Students might feel less connected to an instructor when they are watching a recorded session.
  • Students might feel less connected to the course overall when they do not see their classmates.
  • Students might put off engaging with a recorded session because they can always “do it later.”
  • Asynchronous learning requires significant task initiation skills since none of the class time is scheduled, only the assessment deadlines.
  • Asynchronous learning equires a higher level of commitment and independent learning skills.

Source: https://uwaterloo.ca/keep-learning/strategies-remote-teaching/synchronous-vs-asynchronous-online-learning

 

 


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Online Blended Learning Formats

Now that you have started defining your online teaching context and brainstorming what could be done synchronously and asynchronously, you may be starting to situate yourself on a blended learning continuum.

The following graphic is an overview of the different online blended learning formats that may describe your online blended approach you are envisioning for your course. The formats below are not based on research and are intended to help situate yourself on a spectrum from fully synchronous to fully asynchronous teaching:

  • Flipped Online
  • Mixed Online
  • Synchronous-Time-Reduced Online
    Note: As you progress through this workshop and start making sense on an online blended learning format that meets your course needs and requirements, you may move towards a more synchronous or more asynchronous teaching. 

     

    onlineblendedlearningformats.png

     

    Guiding Questions

    • Where would you feel most comfortable in aligning your course along the synchronous-asynchronous spectrum?
    • Which (if any) of the three formats most closely aligns with the approach you might take? Consider the many factors that might influence your thinking in making such a choice.

     


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DAY 2: Discussion Activity

For this activity reflect and share how you are thinking about including synchronous and asynchronous teaching in your course. Consider some of the readings that you completed about bandwidth and immediacy, and effective synchronous teaching. Also take this time to plan and write up how you will be balancing these modalities in your course.

  • In your teaching context, which activities and course elements might work best in synchronous and asynchronous formats?
  • How would you combine both, what would the balance look like (in reference to the synchronous/asynchronous spectrum)?
  • How do you anticipate the role you will play as a teacher in both formats? Please explain.

 

Due at: Jun 24 at 12am

Unlock at: Jun 22 at 12am

Grading Type: Pass/Fail

Points: 1.0


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