The Covid-19 pandemic has forever shifted the paradigm of modern learning. By this, I mean that being physically present is no longer an imperative element in education. As tech companies continue to facilitate the acquisition of information via internet-based communication systems, remote learning has become a viable option for student and educator alike. Remote learning refers to educational activities that take place via the internet. These activities can be done both synchronously, learning that corresponds with a scheduled meeting time for interaction and collaboration (teacher-pupil, peer-peer), or asynchronously, learning that occurs in a more self-paced, independant study schedule. It is also common for courses, especially those in higher education, to involve both synchronous and asynchronous learning.
The Benefits of Synchronous Learning
Synchronous Learning is meant to be executed in a classroom environment. Trying to achieve the same results in a remote environment is highly challenging. However, it does present many of the same advantages as its real-life equivalent. For example, students can still make connections with their peers and educators and form an online community. Modern technologies allow students to interact directly with one another; social conversations and organic interactions, which are very important for students’ mental health and socialization, can be incorporated in the synchronous environment. Additionally, with synchronous learning, students can get formative assessment and instant feedback that guides learning, soemthing that makes education more effective; educators can enhance the learning experience in real time.
The Benefits of Asynchronous Learning
The main benefit of asynchronous learning is that students can make their own schedules. This is particularly useful to students who work full-time or have very busy schedules. Asynchronous learning is mainly done online, where students can access to educational materials, activities, and assessments any time that is convenient for them. Students also have the ability to learn at their own pace. Those who need more time to work through particular lessons, before moving on, can do so; conversely, those who thrive on consuming more information than the average can get ahead. The ultimate benefit of asynchronous learning is that student take full control of their learning. Asynchronous courses can also equalize teacher attention across all students, empowering students who might otherwise have their voice drowned out in a classroom.
The Setbacks of Remote Learning
After the pandemic, returning to the classroom was a very positive regression for many families and educators. Many educators struggled to effectively teach their students during the pandemic, facing setbacks due to unreliable technology, lack of teaching resources, and students’ technological literacy. Educators also found that their struggles with teaching over Zoom, which was a new program to pandemic-era teachers, left their students distracted and less engaged than when immersed in a classroom environment. On top of the logistical setbacks of remote learning, Educators also found that they were less effective at noticing and reacting to the state of emotional and mental well-being in their students; the two-dimensional world of Zoom was not sufficient in facilitating a human connection.
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