When Gary Rosche shows up to class twice a week, he’s expected to have his reading done. He’s expected to contribute to conversation, and when he has a question, he’s expected to ask it right then and there.
But while a lot is expected of Rosche, leaving the house to go to class isn’t. The Durham, North Carolina resident, who is pursuing a master’s in public administration from the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill, is earning his degree entirely online, largely through live online sessions he logs into after work.
“It really does feel like being in a regular classroom,” says Rosche, a tax supervisor for Durham County.
In online learning, there are two main approaches to teaching. Some students, like Rosche, enroll in synchronous classes – live courses where students are required to log in at a specific time and participate via text or video technology. Most students, though, take asynchronous classes, meaning they sign on and view course readings or videos when they please, meeting deadlines while studying at their own pace.
Each approach has its benefits and drawbacks, experts say. And online students should think carefully about which method works best for them.
Asynchronous learning tends to be popular among online students for a reason, says Harold Orndorff III, assistant professor of political science at Daytona State College. Many online students are juggling work and family commitments, and they don’t always have time to log in at a certain hour, he says.
“The ability to set their own schedule – for a lot of students, that’s a huge benefit,” he says.
Carol Price, who is pursuing an online certification in teaching at University of Illinois—Springfield, is one of those students.
“For me, it’s all about the flexibility,” says Price, who works part time as a bookkeeper and an ice-skating instructor. “We have two younger children and my husband’s job is not very flexible. I am the primary caregiver for our children and I needed something that was going to work around our family schedule.”
Asynchronous learning, or self-paced learning, can also be great for students who may feel more comfortable using the written word than speaking in class, says Vickie S. Cook, director of the Center for Online Learning, Research and Service at the University of Illinois—Springfield.
“It gives you a more level playing field – even the thoughtful, introverted student can really take time to think about a response,” she says.
In addition, she says, asynchronous learning gives struggling students the chance to review information or move at a slower pace, while also allowing advanced students to zip through the material.
While asynchronous learning has its benefits, some believe live, online sessions provide the best education.
Chip Paucek, CEO and co-founder of 2U, a company that helps colleges provide online programs, says a synchronous approach to learning allows students to engage with their online classmates and instructors in a way that enhances learning. The 2U model allows for all students and their instructor to see each other on the screen and talk in real time.
“This is kind of a must-have,” says Paucek, himself a student in one of 2U’s programs – the online MBA at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. “You have a level of intellectual intimacy in a live class that you don’t have any other way.”
Rosche, whose UNC program is run with help from 2U, agrees.
“Face-to-face communication really does enhance the whole experience and provides a better learning experience,” he says. “You develop a real personal relationship with the faculty and other students.”
In addition to enabling live exchanges, synchronous leaning keeps students accountable for their learning, so they’re less likely to get by doing the bare minimum, Paucek says.
“There is no back row,” Paucek says. “You can’t get away. There are some days where you want a back row because it’s so intense. If you didn’t do your work ahead of time, everybody knows within five minutes.”
While 2U students are required to log in at specific times, other programs take a different approach to synchronous learning.bar
At the online MBA program at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, for example, students have the option to participate in live classes, but aren’t required to attend.
“Some say, ‘Hey, my travel schedule or work schedule is such that I cannot attend synchronous sessions at a certain time each week,'” says Ash Soni, executive associate dean for academic programs at Kelley. “Others say, ‘I love coming to class.'”
Ultimately, Soni and Cook say, it’s up to students to decide what’s best for them.
“For students who think they might be interested in one or the other, they really need to consider advantages for both types, and really, if they can, test it out,” Cook says. (source)
Advertisement