Week #8 - EDUC5101G Post - Why Asynchronous Learning Works For The Adult Learner

For my final post on exploring digital tools for education, I thought I would speak about why asynchronous learning works for the adult learner. It also might serve as a nice segue for our next module when we discuss learning theories.

Working in the corporate world, it is essential that my adult learners see the immediate value to the learning they are receiving.  Every time they participate in learning, we are taking them away from their jobs, which means loss of productivity and therefore less revenue.  So it is critical that we “hit the mark” when we design and deliver the learning – ensuring the learning meets their needs.

All of us now are aware of Andragogy and Malcolm Knowles’ adult learning principles.  If we consider the adult learning principles, how well aligned is an asynchronous delivery format in supporting these principles?

Asynchronous learning is considered more flexible than synchronous learning.  The learning is not taking place at the same time that a subject is being taught – offering convenience for the learner.  Technology such as email, e-courses, online forums, audio and video recordings make this possible.

According to Peterson (2015), adults learn best when:

• They understand why something is important to know or do
• They have the freedom to learn in their own way
•  Learning is experiential
• The time is right for them to learn
• The process is positive and encouraging

When considering the above statements, does asynchronous learning support them?  As educators, we can and should ensure the adult learner understands the importance of what is being taught and that definitely can be accomplished in an asynchronous environment.  Asynchronous learning enables an educator to design and deliver learning in many ways accommodating the different learning styles - whether they are listening to experts via video, working on field activities assigned, collaborating with others on an issue, researching a topic or reading assigned articles.  The learning can be experiential with assigned projects that must be completed on their own, followed by required summary blogs or reflections based on their experience.  Strategies such as case studies and role playing are effective for adult learners.  These types of learning experiences take time to review, analyze and synthesize, which makes them ideal for an asynchronous environment.  Finally, and possibly most importantly, asynchronous accommodates the adult learner by allowing them to learn when the time is right, since they determine when they complete the learning. To refer back to an earlier point, when employees are away from the job, productivity is impacted.  So it is advantageous for the adult learner to choose the best time to complete the learning when it is least impacting the job.

Asynchronous learning offers the learner:

• Flexibility as to when you complete the learning
• Flexibility as to where you complete the learning
• Opportunity to consider all sides of an issue before offering their own individual input
• Opportunity to collaborate with classmates and professor – just do it online
• Flexibility for the adult who is working – can complete learning during evenings and weekends

In this M.Ed program, we are fortunate to have the combination of asynchronous and synchronous learning.  Most of my fellow classmates would agree with me that the combination is ideal.  With the synchronous blend, we have the advantage of meeting directly with each other and carrying out spontaneous, direct collaboration as a class or smaller groups.  So a question to ponder.  Do the advantages of incorporating some asynchronous sessions in a learning experience outweigh the learning experience of strictly synchronous learning?  If you were to ask the students in this program, my prediction is that they would say they prefer the blended approach mainly because of the flexibility it offers to those of us working full-time.

It's important that we keep in mind that asynchronous learning offers more than just flexibility.  Learners are to actively participate in their own learning, giving them the opportunity to interact with their peers, provide peer feedback and reflect on the status of their personal learning goals and outcomes.  Asynchronous technologies support learning and allow more time for student reflection, collaboration and student-to-student interactions (eLearning Industry, 2015).

According to Meloni (2010) asynchronous communication and learning is by far the more popular learning type compared to synchronous because many of the learning tools are free, require minimal hardware and are used at the student’s pace.  A sense of community is necessary to sustain the educational experience over time and this can be achieved through collaborative learning communities which is a strength of asynchronous learning.

Asynchronous learning technologies have been defined as personalized learning tools.  With these tools, the teacher can assess what students understand and adapt future course assignments to facilitate a higher level and more in-depth understanding of the content.  All of us have learned in this program that going forward, our challenge as educators will be to create learner-centred, personalized learning – this applies to all learners (eLearning Industry, 2015).

Based on the reasons discussed above, I would say that asynchronous learning works very effectively for the adult learner.

References:

eLearning Industry. (2015). Benefits of synchronous and asynchronous e-learning.   Retrieved from http://elearningindustry.com/benefits-of-synchronous-and-asynchronous-e-learning

Meloni, J. (2010). Tools for synchronous and asynchronouse classroom discussion. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://chronical.com/blogs/profhacker/tools-for-synchronousasynchronous-classroom-discussion/22902

Peterson, D. (2015). What is the difference between asynchronous and synchronous learning. About Education. Retrieved from www.adulted.about.com/od/glossary/g/Asynchronous-Learning.htm