Title: How to Implement Synchronous and Asynchronous Teaching in Your Online Course | Top Hat
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Content: Synchronous presentations are especially useful when course material is complex and may require feedback or clarification in the moment to keep students on track. As a general rule, lecturing for 50 or 75 minutes is not the ideal way to engage students at the best of times, less so in a virtual environment. For this reason, it’s important to consider how to use your precious class time most effectively. In the spirit of active learning, ‘flipping’ your classroom may make sense. This worked for Daniel Maxwell, a criminal justice lecturer at the University of New Haven. Instead of using slides or presenting new content during online class meetings, he assigns interactive textbook readings prior to class with pertinent details highlighted in red to give his students focus. He then facilitates a discussion in class based on student responses to pre-class textbook assignments. This can help make the learning process more engaging for students. There are important social benefits as well. The opportunity to connect with peers and collaborate on problem-solving exercises can go a long way in alleviating the sense of isolation that can exist in online environments.