The Anatomy of an Asynchronous Course

What makes up an effective asynchronous course?

Identify your learning objectives Choose your platform/maximize the one

you have Consider your expectations of your

students AND your student’s expectations of you

Identify chances to increase engagement Check for experiential learning elements Review general “best practices”

Learning Objectives What is your goal? How much interaction do you want? What forms of communication will

you use? • (video, elearning modules, discussion

boards, quizzes, etc.)

Begin with the end in mind.

PlatformHOW will participants access information?

• Do you have a choice?

If you already have a platform you have to work with, make the most of what you’ve got!

Contact vendors, use their resources to learn Participate in online communities discussing the tool

If you’re selecting your platform, choose wisely.

Talk to at least 3 vendors AND their users Visit community sites discussing the tools for user feedback

Platform What’s your

budget? Maintaining the

platform Creating materials Updating materials

REMEMBERThe design you choose has to be

maintained.

Expectations What do you expect?

• What do you want participants to learn?• How often would you like participants to

interact with you and each other?• What can participants DO to get the most

out of the course?• How much time do you expect students to

put into the coursework?

Expectations What do participants expect?

• What do participants what to learn?• Why are they in your course (requirement,

passing or vested interest, etc.)?

Engagement Videos

• Give participants something to watch! Screen capture programs make it easy (and

free!) Discuss a news story/other existing video

• Provide a place to talk about what they saw

Relevant Content• Respect the adult learner’s time• Tie to current events when possible

Experiential Elements

“Tell me about…” questions on your discussion boards

Ask clarifying questions after original posts…”You mentioned…tell me more

about…”

Call to action to apply discussion topic to current environment

“Try…and post your results by Wednesday.”

Experiential Elements What materials can be experiential?

• Worksheets – act as a guide for an experience or of reflecting on own understanding

• eLearning Modules – can be interactive with questions or links requiring action from the participant

• Require participants to teach each other (sharing their own learning, stories and perception solidifies the information)

Best Practices Outline what materials you need to

create

Identify external resources that can help you and your participants

• Content Creation

• Content Design

• Technical Support

• Audio/Video Support

Best Practices Respond to questions/posts promptly

Contribute discussion questions of your own, but encourage participants to ask questions of each other• This may take time; be patient!

Set peer questions as an expectation Remind participants throughout the course Respond positively when you see a peer question

Best Practices Don’t accept general comments

• Challenge participants to respond with depth and personal opinions/reflections through redirection

“Student Name-it sounds like you’ve experienced this before? Tell me about your

experience.”

“Tell me more about why you agree.”

What makes up an effective asynchronous course?

Identify your learning objectives Choose your platform/maximize the one

you have Consider your expectations of your

students AND your student’s expectations of you

Identify chances to increase engagement Check for experiential learning elements Review general “best practices”

Something to add?Questions?Comments?

Join the discussion

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