From Face-to-Face Instruction to Online Teaching: Practical Considerations for Synchronous and Asynchronous Teaching and Learning

Teaching online doesn’t necessarily mean teaching in real time. Online teaching and learning can be synchronous, asynchronous, or a mixture of both. Synchronous teaching occurs when the instructor and students engage with the course material and each other at the same time. It often replicates the face-to-face experience. For example, an instructor can hold weekly online office hours and students can come in to chat and ask about course material. Asynchronous teaching allows the instructor and students to engage with the course material and each other at different times. For example, an instructor can create short video clips for students to watch during the week or hold small or large group discussions via forums in Brightspace. Instructors can use a mixture of these techniques to optimize meaningful learning experiences based on student and course needs. So, what considerations should be explored when you transition your face-to-face course online? How can you decide between synchronous and asynchronous teaching methods? How do these online teaching methods compare to face-to-face instruction?

Bandwidth Immediacy Matrix

To consider tools for online teaching, Daniel Stanford (2020) presents a two-by-two table based on bandwidth and immediacy. Bandwidth is the rate of data transfer, with online tools ranging from low bandwidth (e.g. email) to high bandwidth (e.g. video conferences). Some educational tools require fast and reliable internet access and lacking this functionality can be barrier to learning for students. One only needs to recall having their connection “freeze” or “drop out” as examples of unreliable internet. Immediacy is how fast we expect individuals to interact with us and with each other. Face-to-face office hours have a fast response time between the instructor and student, whereas email correspondence is less immediate.

Sanford designates four zones by placing bandwidth (vertical axis) and immediacy (horizontal axis) together:

1) Green zone (low bandwidth and low immediacy): These are unappreciated workhorses that may not appear exciting or fancy but provide a practical foundation and are often easy to integrate into your teaching practice. Examples include file sharing, email, and discussion boards.

2) Blue zones (low bandwidth and high immediacy): This focuses on practical immediacy such as engaging in group chats and working on collaborative documents together. These opportunities can be asynchronous or synchronous and focus on learner-learner or learner-instructor engagement.

3) Yellow zone (high bandwidth and low immediacy): To be effective, these methods often require planning, thoughtful development, and organization. They can take the form of on-demand audio and video content, such as pre-recorded video, short weekly podcasts, or asynchronous discussion boards with recorded content or other documents.

4) Red zone (high bandwidth and high immediacy): These are often methods that try and replicate natural conversations and face-to-face teaching, but are often at a cost and not accessible to everyone.

Awareness of the bandwidth and immediacy trade-off can inform when to use synchronous, asynchronous, or a both. A week of online learning can include pre-recorded lectures allowing students to digest and review the course material (asynchronous), a discussion-style forum where students can interact with one another (both asynchronous and synchronous), and live office hour chats (synchronous). Recognizing the limitations of technology requires instructors to plan for disruptions, account for the reality that not all access is equal access, and minimize technical requirements. Instructors need to be intentional in choosing which technological tools are best to use because these decisions impact students’ participation and learning.

Comparing Face-to-Face Instruction, Synchronous, and Asynchronous

When deciding on whether teaching will be synchronous, asynchronous, or a mixture of both, the main objective is to be student-centric. The following is a table that outlines how synchronous and asynchronous methods compare to face-to-face instruction, and demonstrates how you can begin to plan your own transition with a student-centered lens. For example, if you want students to dive deeper into course material, asynchronous teaching will give students time to reflect on what they have learned and share their reflections on a discussion board. If you want the students to prepare for group collaboration, synchronous teaching will allow instructors to provide instant feedback and peer interaction by using breakout rooms (Hrastinski, 2008).

When deciding on what method(s) of teaching you’d like to integrate into your online course, remember that you don’t have to do it all. Rather, pick and choose the methods that are reasonable given your context and suit your learning outcomes. Lastly, remember that instructor presence is key whether you’re teaching face-to-face or online (Matos, 2016). Foster student engagement and facilitate a virtual community because, regardless of the method of delivery, your course should be aimed towards students’ success.