Transitioning to Synch and Async Remote Teaching

As we engage in the first nationwide social distancing exercise, schools have been grappling with moving to remote teaching in response to COVID-19. A wave of new educational challenges has shed light on the need to have contingency plans in place that span beyond replacing face-to-face instruction by video conferencing. Instructors engaging in video-conferencing for the first time are finding it increasingly uncomfortable to 1) hearing students’ voices and speaking on video, 2) to have to be camera-ready and viewed by other users, and 3) to remotely teach without formal training.

A new debate has been emerging around the need to support both synchronous and asynchronous access to remote learning. The key differentiator in evaluating remote learning solutions is those specifically for live synchronous learning and those that support asynchronous learning. In an effort to be inclusive and guarantee access to all students, some questions come to mind.

On Twitter, academics, as well as students, have been actively sharing their experiences from this new remote format.  Here are some of their thoughts on the topic of remote synchronous and asynchronous instruction. 

For students who are juggling work, school and caring for family members... could synchronous remote learning be the most accessible/practical way to transition online? 

Students should be allowed to accomplish assignments rather than leveraging synchronous attendance as a criterion for passing a course. One segment of the student population that is at risk is first-gen and low-income students who have historically been underserved by higher education. 

Many students are stressed by the unnecessary challenge of synchronous classes when juggling work, childcare, live classes, and even different time zones. 

In this new normal, how will institutions prevent or minimize the disproportionate impact of remote learning? An uneven playing field further exacerbates the academic achievement gap that’s ever-widening due to the lack of access to technology, high-speed internet, income, and economic uncertainty.  Will these new technologies disproportionately impact students who lack good technology or internet access? 

How about providing different modes by student segment or other platforms to engage directly with students-- How about a Conference Dial-in?

Many instructors have never taught an online class.  While every college has been holding training programs and offering support, faculty members must be able able to adapt effectively if they have not previously used technology in the classroom.

Student-centric Instruction Requires an Asynchronous Option

When using a student-centric focus, the amount of synchronous and asynchronous communication in a course will require a communication format that is supported consistently. To make this transition to remote teaching easy, the best way to move forward is to develop a Plan of Action that enables faculty to use technology similar to tools they use in their everyday life. Tradepal’s remote teaching platform builds a communication channel around each course to allow for both sync and async interaction between instructors and their students. Replacing face-to-face instruction by a remote learning solution requires keeping an umbilical cord between instructors and students to reinforce collaborative learning.

Successfully Transitioning to Remote Instruction

During this time of global disruption, it is important that remote learning environments are inclusive and supportive of diverse communities and design for equity and inclusion.

There are three key considerations when helping student learning centers, faculty members, tutors, and students to transition from face-to-face to remote teaching to ensure proper instructional continuity:

• Digital divide

• Digital literacy

• Privacy

To learn more, visit: Instructional Continuity.