Synchronous vs Asynchronous

This summer semester, I'm enrolled in one synchronous course and two asynchronous courses.

This means that for one class, I have a scheduled Zoom meeting with the professor and the rest of the class for a lecture/discussion, and the other two more simply have readings, assignments, discussion boards, etc. Nothing that's face-to-face.

What are the advantages of each? And disadvantages?

Cons of Asynchronous:


  • The biggest con relates to how personable classes can be. When I feel like I know, trust, and respect the opinion of my professor, the drive to not disappoint them tends to make me want to work that much harder. 
  • Classmate interaction: the odds of finding a group to study with or a student to share notes with on a sick day are astronomically lower in an online space with limited social interaction. Becoming friends with people is just easier when you're already siting right next to them.
  • It's foreign to me: This may heal with time, but doing things like scheduling a Zoom appointment for "office hours" is still strange and unnatural. 
Pros:

  • My schedule becomes very flexible: I can do whatever I need to do during my down time. I used to have trouble doing things like calling the bank because I'd have class/work during their office hours, but now I can call whenever and read my pages while I'm on hold without disturbing anyone.
  • It is what you make it: All of the learning materials are there. It's on you to apply them. It forces you to be a self-learner, which is valuable.
Cons of synchronous:

  • Zoom etiquette can be awkward: My synchronous class takes place from 6:00pm to 9:30pm. Since Zoom etiquette would dictate that I don't eat while on camera, it can be awkward to work eating around that kind of a time slot.
  • You're more likely to work in groups
  • Not having a webcam can make interaction more difficult and makes me feel like I'm at risk of negatively influencing my instructor's bias to me because of something that's beyond my control.
Pros:
  • God, it's nice to talk to people again. 

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