The Basics of K-12 Asynchronous

Learning: Definition, Benefits, and

Activities
• Blended Learning, Unified Classroom,
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Asynchronous learning is a key feature of successful online learning programs. The word
“asynchronous” means not keeping time together, which refers to students’ ability to access
information, demonstrate what they’ve learned, and communicate with classmates and
instructors on their own time. They don’t have to be in the same classroom or even in the
same time zone to participate.
Flexibility and self-paced learning are key aspects of asynchronous
learning. Asynchronous learning allows flexibility for all learner and easily accommodates
1

different learning styles. Students can often “choose their own adventure” when it comes to
the order in which they cover material and how deep to dive into a given topic. Asynchronous
learning is sometimes also called Location Independent Schooling because students can
access their schoolwork anywhere in the world.2
While some schools may have had some asynchronous instruction before the
pandemic, the sudden shift to remote learning made it a necessity. Even as many
schools restart in-person instruction and scale back their remote and/or blended learning
options, asynchronous learning tactics will remain a part of more adaptive instruction
models. We have learned so much about blended learning over the last year and the
benefits asynchronous learning can provide for more flexible learning.

Asynchronous vs. Synchronous Learning: What’s the

Difference?
While asynchronous learning allows students to access materials, ask questions, and
practice their skills at any time that works for them, synchronous learning requires
simultaneous attendance at scheduled meetings or lectures. While this could be in person
in a traditional classroom, the term is most often applied to online courses. Examples of
synchronous learning in an online setting may include (but are not limited to) the following3:
• Videoconferencing or teleconferencing opportunities
• Live chatting (via learning management system chat rooms or the like)
• Live–streamed lectures or demonstrations that take place in real time
Asynchronous learning uses other tools and systems to allow the instructor and students to
interact on their own schedules. These may include:4
• Recorded presentations, such as slideshows and videos
• Email exchanges
• Discussion boards (often embedded within the learning management system)
• Social media groups
• Cloud-based collaborative documents

Benefits of Asynchronous Learning

There are many benefits to asynchronous learning, many of which are now being
recognized and studied, thanks to the prevalence of online learning.5 “I truly believe we’ve
propelled ourselves ten years forward in education technology,” says Russ Selken, Chief
Technology Officer at Modesto City Schools. They use asynchronous learning to
train teachers and staff, offer professional development
courses, and facilitate their distance learning program.
The most obvious benefit is flexibility, which allows students to balance family, work, and
school in a way that works for their schedules. This flexibility can also be beneficial to
younger students with health issues that limit time in school or with other needs that cannot
be met in the traditional classroom but can be addressed through an online program.
Other benefits include:

Pacing – By definition, asynchronous learning allows students to design their own learning
schedules. Students can spend more time on challenging areas and work toward
mastery. Individual pacing also helps address different learning styles.
Collaboration – Using discussion boards and interactive document editing can help
students engage more deeply with the material as they communicate with each other.
Asynchronous collaboration allows students to reach out for help when they need it and to
work with the material as long as needed before sharing their thoughts with others. Taking
the time to process content and discussion at a more flexible pace leads to a richer, more
personalized experience overall.

Portfolio Learning – Because students don’t necessarily sit for a single exam, assessment
of asynchronous learning frequently comprises a portfolio of material demonstrating
mastery. At its best, an online learning portfolio can contain a rich collection of videos,
presentations, and other multimedia projects that show what has been learned in a much
deeper way than a standardized test. Portfolio projects can offer the added benefit
of providing students valuable artifacts to carry through their academic careers and into the
real world.

Asynchronous Activities and Learning Tools

Embracing asynchronous learning can feel overwhelming for instructors who are used to
meeting with students in a traditional classroom–or at least during online office hours. Try
these learning activities to add asynchrony to your course:

Videos – Turn in-class lectures into videos by recording your teaching. For best results, you
can combine video with documents, text, photos, and slides for a full presentation.
Encourage your students to view your presentations on their own time and at their own
pace. A tool like Moovly, for example, can help you get
started. of providing students valuable artifacts to carry through their academic careers
and into the real world.
Demonstrations – Sometimes, students need to see something in action. Post an existing
video that shows a skill or make your own and publish it on YouTube. Consider using a
transcript tool to make a text copy for student reference.6

Class Discussion – Discussion boards embedded into the learning management system
are a great way to get students to interact while not requiring them to be online at the same
time. You can also use social media, such as a class Twitter hashtag, to make the
conversation feel more natural.

Group Projects – Project-based learning (PBL) is a teaching method in which students

learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects. Your students
don’t have to be in the same room to work together. Group presentations and reports can
be edited using Google Docs or Dropbox for real-time collaboration and commenting. To
keep communication moving smoothly, you can also introduce a task management system
like Asana or other project management/Gantt chart software to track progress.

Learning Activities – Your students need to apply what they’ve picked up in your online
materials, so try creating quizzes and games that let them practice their skills and get
feedback on what they know–and what needs work. JeopardyLabs, Quizlet, and Sugarcane
are good places to design customized online activities.

Assessment – You can integrate pre-built assessments into your learning

management system to glean real-time, deep insight into what your students know, have
learned, and are able to do as a result of instruction. Both the instruction and the
assessment can be asynchronous, and the resulting data used to drive the next day’s
instruction.

3 Things To Consider About Asynchronous Learning for

the 2021-22 School Year
If your school district is planning to phase out or drastically scale back remote learning in
the fall, you have probably thought about what “getting back to normal” really means. The
new normal is flexible. The new normal won’t jettison all that we have learned during the
pandemic. The new normal can and should incorporate asynchronous learning. Consider
the following three things about asynchronous learning as you prepare for next school year:
1. As your day-to-day returns to in-person teaching, how will you leverage all that you
have learned about your learning management system and self-paced learning? Build
asynchronous learning into your synchronous courses via the syllabus and
conversations with students and families. Let them know that the best aspects of
learning in the time of COVID will not disappear from your classroom.
2. Some families had a bad experience with remote learning. How will you reassure
them that asynchronous learning in your classroom will enhance the learning
experience, not detract from it? How will you ensure that your use of the learning
management system remains a permanent fixture of your brick-and-mortar
classroom? How can you leverage asynchronous learning strategies to help address
any learning gaps that emerged during school shutdowns and generally stressful
times?
3. How will you plan asynchronous learning activities that are both aligned with class
objectives and actively engage students in the ownership of their own learning? In
other words, as students return to physical classrooms, how will you welcome them
back by providing student voice, choice, and flexible pacing? These are the best
aspects of asynchronous learning and a great way to help prepare students for the
reality of soon-to-be-mid-21st century technology and collaboration skills.
Nothing Changes, but Everything Has Changed
The mission and purpose of education haven’t changed. Students and their learning are our
paramount concerns. Many aspects of the school day have changed,
however. More robust use of learning management systems, videoconferencing, cloud-
based assignments, and project-based learning will soon be the post-COVID norm.
The benefits of asynchronous learning, once largely limited to traditional homework
assignments, have evolved to become a valuable resource for delivering more personalized
instruction. Embrace it, celebrate it, and leverage it to help students have the fullest
education experience possible.

Resources
1. The George Washington University. (2021, April 7). What is asynchronous learning?
https://healthcaremba.gwu.edu/blog/what-is-asynchronous-learning/
2. Hornaday, F. (2018). The future of education: Location independent schooling. Purely
Pacha.
https://purelypacha.com/the-future-of-education-location-independent-
schooling/
3. TBS Staff. (2021, February 18). Synchronous learning vs. asynchronous learning in
online education. The Best Schools.
https://thebestschools.org/magazine/synchronous-vs-asynchronous-
education/
4. eLearners. (2021). Synchronous vs. asynchronous learning.
https://www.elearners.com/education-resources/degrees-and-
programs/synchronous-vs-asynchronous-classes/
5. Kokoulina, O. (2020, March 6). Asynchronous learning simply put: Definition, benefits,
and tools. ispring.
https://www.ispringsolutions.com/blog/asynchronous-learning
6. Haider, K. (2021, February 1). How to transcribe YouTube videos
automatically. Hongkiat.
https://www.hongkiat.com/blog/three-ways-transcribe-youtube-videos/