Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, here is the moment that we have all been waiting for!!! The FINAL COPY!!! Asynchronous vs Synchronous Interaction

http://youtu.be/A8rcbcakk7o

Asynchronous vs. Synchronous interaction

Dr. Terry Anderson will settle the dispute between which form is better for distance learning

The video is set up to look like a group of people attending a conference and the host is showing videos before the presenter comes on stage.  All of the host lines are in green and the “movie” script is highlighted in yellow.

 
Clip of quote – “Once viewed as a less rigorous, softer, easier way to complete a course or degree, faculty now realize that the time involved in the development and delivery of a high-quality online course is substantial…There is no longer a need to spend time defining what online distance is or is not; it is now commonplace in higher education and is gaining popularity in the K-12 arena as well”

        -Palloff & Pratt, 2007)

(Next slide – Now the question is what form of delivery is best for students….Asynchronous or Synchronous)

(Clip of the Hyatt Hotel in Las Angeles, CA)

(Title slide scrolls across the screen – Technology Conference 2012)

(Clip of audience waiting to hear speaker)

(Ding, Ding, Ding,Ding)

Host :  Hello I need everyone to go ahead and have a seat.  Please have a seat and welcome to the 2012 technology conference.  Before we introduce your speaker for today I would like for everyone to have a seat sit back and watch the introduction presentation.

(Scene of audience watching movie)

(Movie begins – The New Way to Communicate)

He’s doing it.  She’s doing it.  Even toddlers are doing it. From texting to Skyping, blogging or plain talking on the phone millions of people use a variety of tools to communicate with each other but no matter what device or method they choose to use for interaction they are communicating in one of two ways…synchronously or asynchronously.

(Movie clip fades out and we return to the audience)

Host: As we have just seen, technology has filtered its way into our everyday lives and it has been no different in the world of education. According to Durrington, Berryhill and Swafford distance education has grown from a phenomenon offered by a few institutions to almost a universal option that students come to expect (Durrington et al, 2006 ).  In 2003 88% of educational institutions were planning to offer asynchronous online courses (Durrington et al, 2006). “In 2005, the largest university in the United States was the University of Phoenix, a for-profit institution featuring distance and distributed learning” (Anderson, 2008). They specialize in asynchronous and synchronous forms of interaction.  Asynchronous courses can be defined as courses whose communication and collaboration occur over a period of time with no time zones restrictions (Ashley, 2003). Synchronous communication occurs in real time or same time different place mode (Ashley, 2003). Currently, many students still prefer face to face instruction and find themselves in quite a bind when choosing between face to face instruction and online distance learning programs (Durrington et al, 2006).  Students in distance learning programs tend to complain about feeling isolated and have concerns about social interaction (Cavanaugh et al, 2004). Students with language difficulties may also feel disadvantaged with such a heavy text learning environment (Cavanaugh et al, 2004). However, research says that students in virtual learning school showed greater improvement than their conventional school counterparts in critical thinking, decision making and time management (Cavanaugh et al, 2004). The pros of synchronous interaction include chats, discussions and dialog in real time where students can be provided with immediate feedback (Palloff & Pratt, 2007).  Often times collaboration in this model is extremely engaging as students can go back and forth in their discussions. However, this model often may force individuals in different time zones to meet at the same time causing many scheduling conflicts (Palloff & Pratt, 2007). The pros to asynchronous include the ability to connect at your own convenience (Anderson, 2008).  You have time to think and reflect before you actually have to submit a response (Anderson, 2008).  Students with language barriers actually have time to dissect and analyze information before providing feedback students in this model often complain about feeling isolated and lost if there is not enough communication (Palloff & Pratt, 2007).

Before I present Dr. Terry Anderson to settle the dispute between which forms of interaction is best for online learning, let’s watch a video about a young career woman and student named Jordan.

VIDEO FOR THE AUDIENCE (Only Synchronous interaction)

Setting: Home near computer

(Jordan rushes through the door after being stuck in traffic all day to hurry and log onto her synchronous online class)

Jordan:  I can’t believe I was in traffic for that long.  I don’t even have time to relax and get something to eat before class starts. 

(She drops her purse on the floor and proceeds to the computer.  The computer is logging on too slow and she is now late for her synchronous class)

Jordan:  What is taking this computer so long?  I hope I didn’t miss anything important.  We are only chatting for a few minutes before the session is over.

(several minutes later)

Jordan:  Finally…

(She picks up the head set and begins talking to her classmates)

Jordan:  Sorry guys, it has been a really hectic day.  So what did I miss?

Only Asynchronous

(Jordan casually strolls through the door after being stuck in traffic for a long time she pours herself a glass of wine, turns on the TV and checks her phone before logging on to her computer.)

Jordan:  I hate I missed the live session but my group members should have uploaded the discussion to my class by now.

(Jordan logs onto her classroom to find the video loaded.  She takes a of wine but notices that she needed to ask her group members a really important question if she was going to finish her part of the assignment tonight)

Jordan: Oh my goodness, I really needed to hear their feedback about my response to the discussion question I submitted.  I don’t know if I was headed in the right direction with my conclusion.  I really wish I could have been here to listen to everyone else so I know whether I was going in the right direction and get some feedback.

Both Asynchronous and Synchronous interaction

(Jordan walks through the door and logs onto her computer after being stuck in traffic. She puts on her headset and begins chatting with her other classmates)

Jordan: Hi guys, sorry I’m late.  The traffic was terrible.

Classmate:  That is cool. We went over a lot of information so I will post our discussion so you can watch it later on.  Did you have any questions about your discussion post? 

Jordan:  I just wanted to know if I was headed in the right direction with my conclusion.

Classmate:  Looks pretty good, but I think you that should not just look at synchronous and asynchronous interaction in isolation, but also how they might work together in a distance learning course and what the benefits of having both would be.

Jordan:  Great idea…I after the day I’ve had…I think I can definitely do that.  Thanks for your feedback.  I will watch the first part of this discussion this evening and e-mail you if I have any questions.

(Slide – now let’s see what others have to say about asynchronous vs synchronous interaction)

Host: Jordan is not the only student who benefits for asynchronous interaction, we’ll also look at a young lady named Tiffany who actually attends a college campus.

Interviewer: Hi how are you doing? Do you mind if I sit next to you and interview you for a minute? 

Tiffany:  Oh sure, uh… I’m actually studying right now.

Interviewer: Well, that is exactly what I was wanting to talk to you about…so, what kind of campus do you attend?

Tiffany: I attend Georgia State University, so I do get to attend a college campus, but my professor uses podcasts.  I’m so thankful that he does because I wasn’t feeling well and missed class the other day, but now I can just go online and review the material. My professor is a huge advocate of using asynchronous interaction like podcasts.  He believes podcasts can increase cognitive understanding by increasing motivation and engagement (Traphagan et al, 2009). 

Interviewer:  Were you able to get all of the material that you needed?  Did you feel like you were missing anything because you weren’t in class?

Tiffany: Um…Yes actually, I wish all professors would consider using some form of asynchronous interaction.  The problem is that many professors don’t feel comfortable using technology like this and the truth of the matter is, that if a professor is not comfortable using technology, then the technology won’t be successful (Christensen, 2002).

Interviewer: That’s awesome.  I’m so glad that you were able to get all of your work and use the podcasts as another form of learning.  Thank you so much for allowing me to sit down with you.

Tiffany:  If it wasn’t for the podcasts, I would really be lost in class tomorrow.

(clip – introducing the single mother and online classes)

Host: Modern day lifestyles have also had a tremendous impact on the amount of people who have to use asynchronous or synchronous interaction.  Let’s take a little while and look at a young lady named Nicole.  She is a single working mother who desires to further her education.

(video shows Nicole holding a baby and preparing dinner)

Interviewer: Do you mind if I ask you if you even have time to take college courses.

Nicole: (Sigh) You would think that with being a single mom, having to come home and cook dinner, and do everything all day that I wouldn’t, but thank God for online courses.  As soon as I put my little one to bed, I get on the computer and I am able to complete all of my course work online. 

Interviewer: Do you mind if I ask what type of online courses you take? Asynchronous or synchronous? 

Nicole: I actually take a mixture of both. Being in my situation, I prefer the asynchronous because I can log on at any time, I put him to bed, I get on the computer and do what I am supposed to do but the synchronous is really helpful as well.  One of the things I like about the synchronous model is the fact that I get immediate feedback.  A lot of our group members will meet online and the professor will be there and we kinda get guided instruction.  The Asynchronous courses are just a God send.  In terms of me having to work all day long, I can log on whenever I want to.  If I catch a break on the weekend and I get onto the computer to do my course work or post something to my blog I can do that as well. I can do that as well.  So I actually like the combination of both.  For time, of course, I like the asynchronous better, but when it is time to turn in a project and I need a little guidance, I prefer the synchronous model.

Interviewer:  Wow…that sounds great

Nicole:  Well was that all of your questions?  As you can see I’m really busy. 

Interviewer:  Sure…I will let you get back to cooking for your little one.

Nicole:  Well thanks; it was good talking to you

Interviewer:  Have a wonderful evening.

 (End of the video presented to the audience)

Host:  What a great video and now without further ado we welcome Dr. Terry Anderson.

(Crowd claps)

(Credits role)

References

Anderson, T. (Ed.). (2008). The theory and practice of online learning. (2nd ed.). Edmonton, AB:

Athabasca University Press.

Cavanaugh, C. Gillan, K., Kromrey, J., Hess, M., Blomeyer, R., (2004). The effects of distance education on

k-12 student outcomes: North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL), 1-32. Retrieved from: http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED489533&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED489533

Christensen, R. (2002). Effects of technology integration education on the attitudes of teachers and

students. Journal of Research on Technology Integration, 34(4), 412-433. Retrieved from

http://mytechtips.pbworks.com/f/Effects%20of%20Technology%20Integration%20Education%20on%20the%20Attitudes%20of%20Teachers%20and%20Students%20(1).pdf

Durington, V., Berryhill, A., Swafford, J., (2006). Strategies for enhancing student interactivity in an

online environment. Heldref Publications. 54(1), 190-193. doi:10.3200/CTCH.54.1.190-193

Jahng, N., Krug, D., & Zhang, Z. (2007). Student achievement in online distance education

compared to face-to-face education. European Journal of Open, Distance, and E-Learning.

Traphagan, T. Kucsera, J., Kishi, K., (2009). Impact of class lecture webcasting on attendance and

            learning. Association for Educational Communications and Technology, 58:19-37, doi: 

            10.1007/s11423-009-9128-7

               

Reflection week 9 (Static and Dynamic Technological Tools)

In the article Static and Dynamic Technologies by Leslie Moller, Static technologies are described as technologies that do little to help learners build their own knowledge and dynamic technologies allow individuals to synthesize and present responses that reflect the initiating idea (Moller, 2008).  Moller gives examples of each type of technology by suggesting technologies like video casts or web pages do little in terms of allowing individuals to formulate their own knowledge, while technologies like virtual simulations and mind tools allow individuals to construct their own thinking (Moller, 2008).  Although I agree with the concept that some technologies do more in terms of allowing individuals to create their own responses, I also agree that static forms of technology can be constructed in a way where the individuals can construct their own knowledge and build information.  One example that Moller suggests is a static technology is a podcast.  While I agree that podcasts are used primarily for listening to lectures I also feel that lectures or discussions can ask stimulating and thought provoking questions that have the learner think and internalize the information being presented.  Moller also states that Web pages are static forms of technology because what you see is what you get, but there are countless times where I might have been looking for something on a website to get an understanding of a concept, but once I found the information, I was able to create a new idea.  The other day I was looking for room ideas.  I wanted to put built-ins in my living room.  I found a lot of great looking built-ins, but none were quite right.  After reviewing several, I was able to design and create my own version of built-ins that would be perfect for me. 
I think that Moller really did not give enough credit to those "static" forms of technology as being useful for constructing knowledge.  One thing I think we often make the mistake of is assuming that the more extravagant forms of technology always mean that they are better.  Many times I find that the simpler and less extravagant, the more the mind has to work in order to make it better.  We must be careful not to assume that a virtual world means that an individual is creating a more meaningful situation.  In terms of today, a person participating in a virtual world is doing no more than picking backgrounds and settings from a prefabricated model and designing characters from a list of options.  They are not really constructing any of those characters from original thought. Yes, it is true that you can "choose" your own path in many of the games, but again your choice is limited to what has already been programmed into the computer. 

Looking for additonal information on static and dynamic technologies?  I found a really great slide share http://www.slideshare.net/Brown41/static-and-dynamic-technologies-1820009


Reference
Moller, L. (2008). Static and dynamic technological tools. [Unpublished Paper].

Static and Dynamic Chart

week 8 - The 3 C's of online communication

For this weeks post I used the article by Durrington, Berryhill and Swafford as well as the video by Seimens. 

Module 3 - Assessment...How do we grade in a virtual/collaborative setting?

The virtual world is changing more than just the way in which we learn and how we learn, but also the way in which we assess.  Placing a grade on a students ability to regurgitate facts will not promote student growth.  In fact, our world is so complex, it is very difficult for us to grade students on their isolated accomplishments.  We are having to work together more and more in order to solve 21st century problems.  So, the question is, how then do we put a grade in the grade book for student work.  What do we assess?  If we can use technology in our learning, we can also use technology in our assessment.  George Siemens gives several suggestions that will aide in our ability to grade students on their individual efforts toward a project.  The first is for students to peer grade.  Peer grading allows members of the group to comment on the contributions of the other members and evaluate that contribution as being significant (Laureate, 2008).  He also suggests "encouraging members to participate in open communities" (Laureate, 2008).  Open communities are environments that allow participation and feedback (Laureate, 2008). 
I love the idea of creating a community for feedback.  Besides the forms of assessment George Siemens discusses, what are some other forms of assessment you think will be critical in the virtual setting?

References
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). (n.d.). Learning Communities.

So how is my video coming along - Video week 6 (update)

I am not going to post my story board just yet because there have been a few changes and I am not sure if I am satisfied with the direction or want to change direction.  I am a little concerned because my job has changed and I am working in a virtual classroom and don't have access to my students anymore so I have to figure out how I am going to get some of my shots and interviews. 

My focus this week was pulling my list of resources so that I can have a solid presentation.  I also wanted to go over the rubric in detail so I can make sure that I have everything on the list. 

I have pulled a lot of scholarly articles and I just want to find the best support from each of articles.

I WANNA JOIN !!!!Technology Organizations

Okay....
So the more I get into this educational technology "thing" the more I find I do not know.  There is so much to learn about and in some ways I have become overwhelmed.  One thing I think I want to do is specialize in a particular area of educational technology.  I think if I specialize then I will be an expert in one area, but what to choose? 

The solution....
I have decided to join an educational technology organization.  The one I think works for me is the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education).   I have missed the deadline for the technology conference  this year, but I will have time to save up for the conference next year.  My hope is that it will give me an understanding of the types of technology out there and then I will be able to see which one I am most passionate about and dive deeper into understanding how to implement that type of technology into education. 

If you have any suggestions about other organizations or conferences, please feel free to let me know.  There is so much out there.  Wait...Let me tell you what I am most interested in now so you know where to focus.... I am really into distance learning right now and the technologies that make distance learning easier.  Okay..so I think that is all.

OH...one more thing....If you are interested in going we could form a group and register for the 2013 conference in San Antonio.


Bye

LINK TO ISTE WEBSITE  http://www.iste.org/about-iste.aspx

So George Siemens says what?

George Siemens, Associate Director at the University of Manitoba, says that there is a growing acceptance of distance communication (Laureate Education, 2008 ).  Geographical location is no longer a factor in terms of how we communicate and educate (Laureate Education, 2008 ).  Technology has afforded us the opportunity to learn without geographical boundaries and we are finding that our learning experiences can be rich (Laureate Education, 2008 ).  One of the biggest advantages being that we can have virtual teams working on a project at one time with the ability to have world wide collaboration and as our technology improves, the ability and acceptance of distance education will increase (Laureate Education, 2008 ).

I agree with everything that George Siemens says, however, there is research that suggests K-12 learners may not benefit from distance learning or integrated technology.  In some ways technology has afforded us the opportunity to learn in a different environment, but for young learners many times test scores have not increased.  In fact the integration of technology, depending on the type and use of technology, may not increase the overall achievement of  K-12 learners any more than face to face instruction.  There is an article that you can look up called The Impact of Education Technology on Student Achievement: What the Most Current Research Has to Say, this article is excellent because it gives an overview of several studies performed and the results in many cases are mixed.  Take a look at it for yourself and let me know what you think.  I posted a link below:

http://www.mff.org/pubs/ME161.pdf


References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). (n.d.). The Future of Distance Education.

Storyboard draft 1 - 7102 Walden Univ

For my Educational Specialist degree we are asked to create a video.  The video is to serve as an introduction for a keynote speaker.  My speaker has chosen the topic of asynchronous and synchronous interaction.  The video shows the process I use for creating the storyboard for my video

Is the idea of a traditional classroom gone?

After a recent job interview with an online public school it came to my attention that we may no longer hold classes in a brick and mortar building.  There is a lot of research to support the benefits of online learning.  So what does that mean for the future of education?  I would love to hear from you.

 I currently attend Walden University and was asked to choose a topic of study.  I decided to choose Asynchronous vs Synchronous interaction.  Below is the paper submitted for my choice:

The invention of the internet has caused a ripple effect on almost every aspect of 21^st century living. One of the major advancements associated with the internet is our ability to communicate using a variety of different methods. I am fascinated with the notion that I can communicate with someone in the same time zone at the same time via the web and grow even more fascinated with the idea that I can communicate without concern about an individuals’ time zone or logging in to make sure that I am do not miss an important meeting.  The technology behind the ability to communicate through the web is amazing and more than I can wrap my head around.  It is a reminder of the genius that I have not been blessed with.  Amazing human beings have been given amazing gifts and shared them with me and I am grateful.  My strength lies more in understanding the benefits of such technology for my students.  I have been a middle school teacher for 9 years now and have had great experiences working with low-income, minority youth.  I have been successful in my efforts to help them achieve goals and many have moved on to become successful adults. I still receive e-mails from many of my students filling me in on what goes on in their lives and it makes me feel good to know that I have had that type of impact.  Many of the students I have taught are now leaving college and it puts a smile on my face when they call me and tell me that of all the teachers they had, they remember me most. 

Working with the students in the way that I have, has not been an easy task.  In fact, many times I felt a tremendous amount of stress because the task of getting students, who, by definition, society says will not be successful, to overcome the statistics and rise to the challenge of being successful, was not an easy one.  At one time in my career, I was the first person to enter the building and the last person to leave.  I took to heart every single workshop I attended and tried to make sure that I implemented as many strategies as I could to ensure success.  In a community where parents were not typically involved with their students, I was able to have large amounts of parents come for parent tutorials and many other events that involved their children.  All of these methods paid off, but eventually I grew discouraged as it seemed to take more and more effort for me to have students realize their potential.  It seemed as if the more I gave, the more people expected and no longer was there a shared responsibility between myself, the parent and the student.  In fact, not only did most of the responsibility fall on me, but the school system itself seemed to grow extremely relaxed in their expectation of our students.  I saw a breakdown in the culture and society of the world around, from the influences of pop culture, to the school system’s expectation of how low-income, minority students should perform.  The monster grew to overwhelm me and I decided it was time to leave the traditional public school setting.  I am sure that you are wondering, “How does all of this relate to communication and more specifically, the topic I chose for my study (asynchronous and synchronous interaction)?” Well, I recently applied and have been accepted to teach at an online public school called the Georgia Cyber Academy. 

The Georgia Cyber Academy is an online, Title I public school.  It is offered to any student in the state of Georgia.  Currently the school ranges from grades K-11 and will eventually have a senior class in 2014.  Although the school does have social events where teachers, parents and students will get to meet in person, over 90% of the interaction between student and teacher will take place through both asynchronous and synchronous communication.  I will begin training for the job on July 16^th of this year (2012), but I thought that I might choose this topic as a way to help me get a better understanding of the benefits of both forms of communication. 

During the interview process I was informed that in order for me to stay employed or receive a contract for the following year, I must maintain my attendance and in order to maintain attendance, I must keep the “customer” happy.  I need to learn how I can use these forms of communication to create the same environment I created when I was in a brick and mortar building.  My desire through the study of asynchronous and synchronous interaction is to learn how to utilize the benefits of both forms of communication to create a virtual classroom environment that establishes high expectations, implements problem solving and rigor while promoting comfortable classroom conversation and dialog between the students and myself. 

Some interesting information I found came from the Encyclopedia of Distance Learning.  The encyclopedia’s format was not organized in the format of a traditional encyclopedia.  The Encyclopedia of Distance Learning was composed of research studies on the many topics that fall under distance learning.  The encyclopedia was created by Patricia Rogers and other professionals who gathered information from professionals in the distance learning field.  Professionals such as Tiong Kung-Ming, from the University of Malaysia, and Sim Khoon-Seng from Curtin University of Technology in Malaysia completed a study on asynchronous vs. synchronous interaction in distance learning.  Kung-Ming and Khoon-Seng describe two forms of communication in the world of computer-based education; communication is either asynchronous or synchronous (2005).  “Asynchronous interaction simply refers to interaction that occurs at different times, that is, not real time (Kung-Ming & Khoon-Seng, 2005, p.123).”  Synchronous interaction is the interaction or communication that occurs during real time.  Both of these forms of communication are essential to the distance learning process.  Kung- Ming and Khoon-Seng cite Garrison (1990) “the quality and integrity of the educational process in distance learning, largely depends upon sustained, two-way communication (p.122).”  The study completed by Kung-Ming and Khoon-Seng discusses the differences between asynchronous and synchronous interaction as well as the benefits of both forms of communication.  Asynchronous interaction allows flexibility, time to reflect, anonymity, no time zone constrains, situated learning and is cost effective (Kung-Ming & Khoon-Seng, 2005).  Synchronous interaction’s benefits include the ability to receive immediate feedback and visual and aural cues (Kung-Ming & Khoon-Seng, 2005).  After reading through the entire journal, it is apparent that Kung-Ming and Khoon-Seng find asynchronous interaction more beneficial to student learning. 

Due to my recent career shift, the topic of asynchronous and synchronous communication and it benefits to learning is a topic that I find intriguing.  I wish to create a positive learning environment through these two forms of virtual interaction. Because the use of this type of technology has been primarily isolated toward college students, there is little research on the benefits with regards to k-12 students.   The information in this journal was useful for the topic I chose, however, it is important to find additional resources.  I am currently looking for information that pertains more specifically to the comparison between asynchronous and synchronous communication methods for grade school students. 

References

Rogers, P. et al (2009). Asynchronous vs. synchronous interaction. T. Kung-Ming & S. Khoon –

Seng, The Encylopedia of distance learning (Vol. I, 2^nd edition). Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=sC9Le3jIwzIC&pg=PA122&dq=asynchronous+versus+synchronous+interactions&hl=en&sa=X&ei=W6neT9iHFo-c8QSmqq3cCg&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=asynchronous%20versus%20synchronous%20interactions&f=false