How The Same Topic Might Be Presented Using a Synchronous Medium

Synchronous: defined by the dictionary as “happening, existing, or arising at precisely the same time” ("Merriam-Webster", 2012). As synchronous mediums become live, blogging is better illustrated through these types of mediums. Using desktop sharing software, demonstrations can be done   illustrating blogs as an asynchronous learning technology. Through desktop sharing software or any type of audio video software for live training, individuals can discuss the functionality of blogs. 

The learners can also learn how to use blogs through step by step instruction. With live illustrations, learners can  practice functions as they learn them. Any questions about blogging must be addressed as the learners practice in real time. Instructors can then assess a learner’s ability in using blogs by posting and responding to other posts. The learners can ensure they understand the use and the etiquette of blogging in real time. Once the live session is done, learners can go directly to the internet and begin using new skills. Instead of waiting for answers in an asynchronous medium, learners receive  the answers needed in a synchronous medium. Blogging is explained and demonstrated in a live atmosphere.

Merriam-Webster. (2012). Retrieved http://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/synchronous

5 Ways Blogging Can be Used in Various Adult Education and Training Environments

Luehman and MacBride (2009) in their study defined a blog as:

               

A frequently updated personal online space (a type of web page) where an author publishes a series of posts, engages others in discussion about her posts, and collects and shares resources. These posts are searchable by categories and archived sometimes over a long period of time, usually in reverse chronological order thus presenting the most recent work first. (p. 6)

Given the definition above, there are several uses for blogging in adult education. Adult education and training has many facets such as corporate training, ESL, community education, adult basic education, religious education, higher education, and various forms of informal education. The members of Learning Team B facilitate within a wide range of areas and the following are 5 uses for blogging in out various teaching environments in adult education and training.

Creating a Marketplace to Share Materials and Exchange Additional Resources

Sometimes learners during the course of the classroom discussion will bring up resources that can further everyone’s knowledge on the subject matter. A blog can provide a place where learners and facilitators can freely add hyperlinks and upload documents that everyone can use as a resource.

            Giving Learners a Chance to Continue Discussions Beyond the Classroom

Facilitators have a certain amount of time allotted to go through the material and meet their objectives. Sometimes the time restraints force the facilitator to cut good discussions short so that all of the items can be covered. A blog is a place where those good conversations can be continued over an extended period. This also helps because learners have more time for reflection outside of the classroom.

            Encouraging Learners to Produce a Higher Quality of Work

Even adult learners are tempted to put in a little less effort when they feel no one will ever see their work. Since blogs are public spaces were the world, or at least the entire class can view their work requiring learners to submit writing assignments via blogs can encourage them to represent themselves better due to the observer effect.

             

             Online Collaboration

Blogs are tools that can allow learners to collaborate online. In a team scenario work can be easily edited making it easier to arrive at a finished product. Care must be taken because passwords must be guarded and logs should be kept of updates just in case someone make corrections that are not so correct.

  

              Integrating Multimedia

A facilitator can use a blog the central class website where they upload additional resources such as audio and video and require learners to watch and post their thoughts on what they have seen or heard. The facilitator’s knowledge may be limited, but there are many credible experts with free podcast. These podcast and multimedia resources can be inserted into a blog entry. This tool enhances the learning.

Luehmann, A., & MacBride, R. (2009). Classroom blogging in the service of student-centered pedagogy: Two high school teachers' use of blogs. THEN: Technology, Humanities, Education & Narrative, (6), 5-36.

Why This Choice Is Appropriate For The Subject Matter

We wanted to look at both types of learning settings to see how and why blogs fit into the subject matter.  Blogs are usually something that can be written and looked up at a later date or on a daily basis without constant interaction.  This is perfect for the asynchronous learner because it gives him or her the time to look at the material at a particular pace.

Blogs come in many forms such as educational personal, corporate, organizational, along with media types.  We picked blogs because they are so versatile for the user.  In our case we are using blogs in an educational realm, and showing how they are effective tools for learning. What must really be looked at is how to have an effective blog (http://www.clickz.com).

Ø  Know your Audience

Ø  Optimize key words.

Ø  Plan your blog content.

Ø  Help, do not promote.

Ø  Be a person

Ø  Make content

Ø  Get everyone on board.

Ø  Build an E-mail list

Ø  Go mobile

Ø  Get out and engage

Cohen, H (2011, May 11) 10 Ways to Improve Your Blog’s Effectiveness Retrieved

       from  http://www.clickz.com/clickz/column/2074617/improve-blogs-

Rationale Behind Team B Choosing Blogs as the Highlighted Asynchronous Learning Tool

Learning Team B has chosen to highlight blogging as our asynchronous learning technology tool of choice because it is a very popular and useful way for people to share information including their thoughts and interest in a way that is accessible to a great number of users quickly. The word blog comes from combining the two words “web” and “log” because a blog is how people share a log of their thoughts via the World Wide Web. World Wide Web is not just a catchy phrase; it implies that information once placed on the Internet is accessible anywhere in the world that has Internet access. In our culture of global education this is important because the internet allows us to import and export information from everywhere in virtually no time therefore learners can productively collaborate and interact via the tool of blogging whether in a classroom, plane, train, or in a café. Blogging is present in various forms of social media as Facebook and Twitter are forms of micro blogging.

Maheridou, Antoniou, Kourtessis & Avgerinos (2011) in their study on the use of blogs in a distance learning settings quoted (Instone, 2005) stating that blogs, “enable sharing and collaboration between geographically remote users and offer the opportunity for new forms of student-centered pedagogic practices”. Blogging allows learners to be creators and exporters of information not just merely consumers and importers of information. This ties in to student-centered learning because the learner is a more active participant in their learning. When we look at how various people learn, we know that you engage a learner the more they are able to retain information learned from their learning experience.

Blogging as an asynchronous learning tool allows learners produce information that is accessible to the world and in the production of information the learner is first required to research the subject then create a product that will be available be viewed and commented upon by others. When someone’s work is published for the masses to view and openly criticize, they usually put much more thought and care into its production because our work is a representation of ourselves to people who will probably never meet us.

Video below gives information on how the asynchronous technology tool of blogs can be used in education.

MAHERIDOU, M., ANTONIOU, P., KOURTESSIS, T., & AVGERINOS, A. (2011). BLOGS IN DISTANCE EDUCATION: An Analysis of Physical Educators' Perceptions of Learning. Turkish Online Journal Of Distance Education (TOJDE), 12(1), 95-107.

Palm Breeze Cafe. (n.d.). Blogs in Education. Retrieved from Youtube.com  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7XiCg_wpzE

                                            

Comparing the Aspects of Asynchronous and Synchronous Learning.

When looking at the disadvantages and advantages many aspects were taken into consideration.  Our goal was to layout the most important that would tie in best with the other subject matter.  Here is a look at what we decided fits the best:

Advantages of Asynchronous Learning

Ø  Allows time for reflection.

Ø  Encourages critical thinking.

Ø  Equalizes the learning environment for introverted students and students whose first language is not English.

Ø  Engages students with a wide variety of learning styles.

Ø  Enables students to participate vicariously (lurk) without conveying an

     attitude of detachment.

Ø  Flexible

Disadvantages of Asynchronous Learning

Ø  Not getting feedback in a timely manner.

Ø  No interaction with people or a facilitator.

Ø  Gives feelings of disconnect.

Ø  Can take away motivation to some capacity because there is no one giving you a constant push.

Ø  Sometimes there is no association with the real world, or making the topics seem relative.

Ø  A person without discipline many not flourish in this environment because it is up to the individual to get his or her work done.

Synchronous Advantages

Ø  Cost effective. 

Ø  Able to reach a larger audience.

Ø  Eliminates the use of office space, meeting places, or cost of property costs.

Ø  Learners can learn in real time so it makes the instruction or class more interactive.

Ø  Feedback is good because of real-time experience.

Ø  The ability to have multiple staff on hand to help facilita

                                                                              Synchronous Disadvantages

Ø  Everyone is not comfortable with technology, which could make people not grasp the concept being taught.

Ø  Some people need face-to-face interaction with others as well as the instructor to get what is being taught.

Ø  Not all subjects are created equal, meaning some subjects cannot be taught in an online setting.

Ø  In the online setting there may be technology failure so everyone may not be able to be in synch.

Ø  Accessibility is a must, or has comparable technological devices in order to make this process work.

Ø  Even with the best preparation coordination may not go as planned.   (Kelly, 2011).

      Differences in Facilitation Strategies of Asynchronous and Synchronous Learning

Synchronous Learning

Facilitation strategies that enable a synchronous online environment are as effective as the face-to-face contact in a traditional classroom environment because it enhances and improves the instructional delivery method of the course content. Whether in an online learning setting or in a face-to-face learning environment, both settings can successfully utilize the necessary tools for academic advancement.  A well-prepared instructional agenda can ensure that each learning style is targeted with effective tools and that each student can gain the ability to attain the course objective.  Challenges may arise for an online course setting as emphasis is placed on communication whereas it can be performed with much ease and flexibility in a face-to-face traditional classroom environment.

Asynchronous Learning

It is crucial that distance learning facilitators utilize strategies that allow learners to place a phrase or idea within a suitable context, identify significance, and implement choices. To acquire a level of learning that is dependable upon knowledge constructing entails reflection, examination, and cooperation, which substitutes learning fundamentally by encouraging learning. Knowles (1975) supports the use of these methods, suggesting that learners are motivated by internal incentives, such as self-esteem, achievement, personal growth, sense of accomplishment, and curiosity -- all by-products of collaborative problem-solving activities (Knowles, M.,1975). 

Differences between the Facilitators and the Learners in Each Type of Learning

Synchronous Learning

The facilitator must demonstrate structure and organization within both learning settings in order for students to remain focused, motivated and determined of the course content.  It is imperative that the course outline for either learning setting is concise, clear and serve as an essential guideline tool.  It is important for an instructor to acknowledge that each individual learner has developed a learning style preference. It is the instructor’s responsibility to ensure that the proper and adequate tools are provided to enable students to gain the same learning experience in an online environment and a face-to-face classroom setting.   

Asynchronous Learning

Facilitators of distance learning communities normally play various roles containing that of designer, administrator, instructor and technical support. Of these roles, the most transparent and the most essential role is that of a facilitator. The facilitator role consists of establishing, retaining, and modeling the learning community. Six crucial roles related with facilitation have been recognized, including that of a leader, mentor, instructor, and resource-provider. Regardless of the medium that is chosen, online learning environments are normally different and unknown to new students. “Though many people today are familiar with email, for example, a learning environment that employs email and listservs as collaborative learning tools can, at first, seem awkward”  (Prestera, 2001). A crucial component of the facilitator’s role is to help learners become familiarized with their new environment so that the technological advances become translucent. As learners adapt to the environment, the instructor should motivate them to apply better control over the learning process.

Kelly, R. (2011) Synchronous and asynchronous learning tools: 15 strategies for engaging online students using real-time chat, threaded discussions and blogs, retrieved from http://www.cincinnatistate.edu/online/faculty-resources/15%20Strategies%20for%20engaging%20online%20students%20using%20real-time%20chat-%20threaded%20discussions%20and%20blogs.pdf  

Knowles, M., (1975). Self-directed learning: A guide for learners and teachers. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Cambridge Adult Education.

Prestera, G. E. (2001). Facilitating asynchronous distance learning Exploiting Opportunities for Knowledge Building in Asynchronous Distance Learning Environments, Retrieved from http://frank.mtsu.edu/~itconf/proceed01/3.html