5 Tips for Asynchronous Learning
A whole lot of folks learned the meaning of asynchronous learning in the last few months. I was lucky to have experience with it through some of my hybrid graduate classes, but had to figure it out then. Even the definitions on Google don’t quite tell you what you need to know about asynchronous learning.
Asynchronous means, literally, "not at the same time”. For school, that means the tasks can be done on your own time, usually by a certain deadline. This can look like a lot of things, such as:
Plain ol’ homework
Watching videos of the teacher teaching
Doing online assignments
Having a discussion through posts on a blog or message board
How can you make sure you are doing your best at asynchronous learning? Here are some tips that will help you stay on track.
Stick to a schedule. Try to do your work at roughly the same time every day. Your brain and body get used to the routine and you’ll work best at those times. If you normally have math first and then history, do your asynchronous math work first and then your asynchronous history work. If you try to put it off and do it later, you’ll get stuck trying to cram too much work into too few hours. However, you can make your schedule work for you. Need a little extra sleep? Set your alarm an hour later and start your routine a bit later.
Be flexible. Schedules and assignments will change, sometimes at the last minute. Sometimes you’ll cram in an assignment, only to have its due date pushed back because of widespread connectivity issues or even the weather. Sometimes, you’ll miss an announcement and have to change around your schedule to fit in a surprise class or assignment. We can’t change what happens, but we can change how we feel about it. Be prepared for last minute changes.
Check and double check. Each teacher may want a different font, margin size, and document format. Each teacher may want you to submit through a different platform. Make sure you have written down those details every time, and double check before you submit an assignment.
Proofread for tone. Especially when you are having an asynchronous discussion, your writing does make your tone as clear as if you were speaking. Do an extra proofread to make sure your snark doesn’t get completely misunderstood.
Plan ahead. You never know when you might lose power or internet connectivity. Try to get your work done early (if possible) rather than saving it for the last minute. While this is a good practice for all the time, it is especially important during asynchronous learning, where there’s more room for unexpected problems to appear.
What have you done to make asynchronous learning work for you? Comment below or email robinsatty@stemsmartconsulting.com.