Best Practices in Synchronous and Asynchronous Assignments

Best Practices in Combining Synchronous and Asynchronous Assignments

  • Think about the teaching goals you are trying to achieve first.
    • What part of the goal can students learn and respond to independently and asynchronously?
    • What part of each goal is best delivered through synchronous instruction and/or real-time collaboration?
  • Be clear about the deliverables expected from the asynchronous assignment.
  • Synchronous assignments can be abstract sometimes, especially when it involves a discussion.
  • Specify what you want your students to achieve by the end of the discussion.
  • Consider creating a synchronous session PDF hand-out.
    • During synchronous session, hand-outs can help make clear what the deliverables are, the format of discussion, and other expectations that students need to understand.
  • Consider make-up options for students who cannot attend synchronous session.

Bringing it all together: Sync + Async

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