Corporate learning: Synchronous Vs. Asynchronous

There are two primary ways of providing collaboration or instructional services within a Learning Delivery Environment (or within loosely integrated forums, such as in a portal) – synchronously or asynchronously. This article from the ‘Recipes for E-learning Success’ series examines the key strengths and weaknesses of each and how they are appropriate for a different set of circumstances.

Janvier 2001

Horses for courses

There are two primary ways of providing collaboration or instructional services within a Learning Delivery Environment (or within loosely integrated forums, such as in a portal) – synchronously or asynchronously. Each has its key strengths and weaknesses and is appropriate for a different set of circumstances.

Synchronous Environments

Synchronous interaction involves the parties (learners, or learner and instructor) being online at the same time and communicating in real-time. A range of synchronous communication tools can support interaction in this virtual classroom environment, including:

• Voice and video conferencing
• Shared whiteboards and live presentation tools
• Partage d'applications
• Live assessment testing and voting
• Audience control tools including hand raising, approval feedback and audio/video control
• Bavardage
• Web Safari (diriger une session de navigation web en direct)
• Breakout rooms for smaller groups

The benefits of synchronous interaction are that learning and feedback are immediate and therefore happen in shortened elapsed time. They are ideal for activities such as brainstorming, group decision-making, and remedial coaching since these activities need rapid interaction and feedback, and tend to be of a lower quality if spread over a longer period of time. We often encourage the use of synchronous tools for question and answer sessions with an expert or guru in the specific field being studied. Many forward-thinking experts are more than willing to join a session remotely. For the organiser it provides a considerable saving on travel and subsistence costs of the expert, and opens up his or her diary; one hour is far easier to schedule than a three-day trip!

The downsides of synchronous learning are logistics and the limitation of time. All parties must be online at the same time, regardless of location, which may be disruptive to those in widely-dispersed time zones. Synchronous communication works well for short sessions – maybe one-hour maximum, but is problematic for longer periods, with individual attention and learning value decreasing rapidly, particularly if the participants are in a working office environment. Depending on the audience size and availability, it can also be difficult to schedule times when such sessions can happen. Another consideration in synchronous communication is language – it’s much easier to interact in your own language. Non-native language speakers (or typists!) can take on a much more passive role, with activity being dominated by native language users.

The degree of interactivity within an actual live session is controlled by the instructor and will be more limited for larger audience sizes as the interaction processes become harder to manage. With very large audiences the aim should be to use the tool essentially as a broadcast session rather than one which is highly interactive. Also the performance of the products depends on the size of audience as well as the media being transmitted. It is important to consider bandwidth issues when designing content for use across this medium.

Asynchronous Environments

Asynchronous interaction involves the parties communicating over elapsed time, not real time, usually in a typewritten format. As well as straightforward discussions, asynchronous interaction could also include group project activity, assessments, surveys, votes etc. These activities may be completely open-ended or may be constrained with a defined start or end time.

The key benefit of asynchronous interaction is its flexibility and ability to fit into everyone’s working day. Participants engage with the system when it suits them, and information of all kinds including documents and file attachments can be shared, not just text in discussions. For groups spread across multiple geographies and time zones, or even those who have very different work patterns, it is an ideal delivery mode. It is also more of a leveller than either face-to-face or synchronous communication, as all participants have an equal opportunity to contribute; they are not relegated to the back of the class by a talkative colleague. Additionally, those who have trouble speaking up because of language differences or shyness can take their time crafting a written reply. This mode of communication allows time for everyone to think about a given subject, and is ideal for those ‘I wish I had remembered to say….’ moments! Another advantage of the asynchronous environment is that the learning does not have to be geared to the average student. Those who wish to research a subject in more depth can do so in their own time, and those who are slower learners can review material a number of times. Technically access to asynchronous environments can often be made with a lower hardware and network specification, which is of use to remote participants.

The downside of asynchronous learning is that it occurs over longer elapsed times. Often it means that it is difficult to come to group decisions, or for rapid and controlled discussion of ideas to take place. And there is the motivation factor; it’s critical. It is human nature to leave work until the last minute or until it is obvious that it is going to be assessed or judged. In a live environment, there is more exposure and obligation to be prepared. Many people, with no strict deadlines in the asynchronous environment, and no teacher watching over them, fail to contribute to the deliverables. Many need additional coaching in self-managed learning and collaboration.

Bringing It All Together

In reality, the best learning programmes often combine synchronous and asynchronous environments. The benefits of one are often the shortcomings of the other. A fully integrated environment, which makes use of the best features of each is the one most likely to have success. For example, a longer-term learning programme could be designed as follows:

• Asynchronous ‘about me’ introductory session and icebreaker
• Simple asynchronous exercise
• Synchronous session confirming expectations and deliverables, with a simple exercise
• Main body of work where learners research and discuss a subject asynchronously, in order to gain a common level of knowledge and understanding. Increasingly complex activities and exercises over time.
• Periodic live ‘checkpoint’ events to motivate the participants and allow them to communicate rapidly with each other, experts and instructors. Includes private coaching sessions.
• Asynchronous reflection on the quality and effectiveness of the programme.

It is clear that the greatest benefits are to be gained by understanding the specific requirements and mapping appropriately on to the right delivery mode. For ease of use and support an integrated synchronous and asynchronous environment provides the best of all possible worlds.

Résumé

La réussite de l'e-learning repose sur trois domaines clés. Premièrement, une compréhension approfondie de toutes les composantes – desLearning Management Systems aux techniques de développement de contenu, de l'infrastructure informatique à la conception pédagogique et à la gestion du changement organisationnel. Ensuite, comme les programmes d'e-learning sont rarement peu coûteux, il est essentiel d'obtenir un retour sur investissement élevé, il est donc crucial de faire appel aux ressources les plus expérimentées pour réussir. La valeur de ceux qui l'ont déjà fait ne doit pas être sous-estimée. Enfin, il est essentiel de coordonner et de gérer ces composantes, fonctions et ressources. L'e-learning franchit de nombreuses frontières et doit être considéré comme une démarche stratégique, gérée comme un programme véritablement interfonctionnel.

Nous espérons que les articles de la série ‘ Recettes pour le succès de l'e-learning ’ vous aideront à comprendre certains des problèmes actuels entourant ce sujet et vous auront incités à revoir vos idées sur l'e-learning. Fosway recherche et développe continuellement les meilleures pratiques en matière d'e-learning, et s'efforce de partager ses connaissances et son expérience avec ses clients et les praticiens de l'e-learning.

Lecture recommandée par Fosway

Les autres articles de cette série sont les suivants :
• Recettes pour la réussite de l'e-learning
• L'équation Volume contre Valeur
• Formation en ligne mixte ou intégrée ?
• Dynamique de conception pour l'apprentissage en ligne
• Construire des communautés d'apprentissage
• Normes de l'e-learning

Accélérer et réduire les risques

Pour discuter de nos recherches sur les systèmes d'apprentissage et de talents, ou pour explorer ce que cela pourrait signifier spécifiquement pour votre organisation, veuillez nous contacter directement.

Nous utiliserons notre expertise indépendante pour vous fournir les conseils dont vous avez besoin afin d'accélérer et de réduire les risques de vos décisions. Nous avons à notre disposition une richesse d'expériences, d'outils, de recherches et de profils.

Nous n'avons aucun produit à vendre et aucun intérêt personnel à influencer vos résultats. Nous nous concentrons sur des conseils pragmatiques et indépendants.

Exactitude des informations et garanties

L'analyse et les recommandations faites dans ce document sont basées sur les informations actuellement disponibles pour Fosway et provenant de sources jugées fiables.

Fosway décline toute garantie quant à l'exactitude, l'exhaustivité ou l'adéquation de ces informations. Fosway ne pourra être tenu responsable des erreurs, omissions ou inadéquations des informations contenues dans ce document ou de leurs interprétations.

Les opinions exprimées dans ce document sont susceptibles de changer sans préavis. Tout le contenu est la propriété de Fosway limited, sauf indication contraire. Tous droits réservés.

A propos de Fosway Group

Chez Fosway Group, nous sommes convaincus que c'est en développant et en mobilisant leurs collaborateurs que les grandes entreprises internationales parviennent à être performantes et à réussir. Tout comme le parcours de chaque collaborateur est unique, la stratégie RH de chaque entreprise l'est également.

Les services d'analyse et de conseil de Fosway Group vous fournissent les informations dont votre organisation a besoin pour obtenir des résultats et éliminer les risques. Nous savons que tous les aspects des ressources humaines et de la gestion des talents de nouvelle génération sont plus étroitement liés que jamais. En collaborant avec nous, vous accélérez votre prise de décision et prenez de meilleures décisions.

Nous sommes le premier analyste RH indépendant d'Europe, et tout comme la voie romaine dont nous tirons notre nom, vous constaterez que nous sommes d'une franchise hors du commun. Nous n'avons aucun intérêt particulier dans vos choix technologiques ou en matière de conseil. Vous pouvez compter sur nous pour vous dire ce que vous devez savoir pour réussir.

Parmi nos clients, on peut citer : Alstom, Aviva, Boots UK, BP, BT, Centrica, Deutsche Bank, Faurecia, HSBC, International SOS, Lloyds Banking Group, Novartis, PwC, Rolls-Royce, Royal Bank of Scotland, Sanofi, Shell, Swiss Re, Telefonica, Thomson Reuters, Toyota Europe et Vodafone.

Contactez-nous

Contactez dès aujourd'hui notre équipe d'analystes pour nous faire part de vos besoins en matière de gestion des talents et bénéficiez de conseils avisés sur votre processus de recrutement et votre prise de décision stratégique. Contactez-nous en ligne, par téléphone au +44 (0)20 7917 1870 ou par e-mail info@fosway.com.