When it comes to creating an online training course, one of the many questions that a designer needs to ask is this – what kind of learning strategy is best for the learners? Of course, there are two different options; asynchronous learning and synchronous learning strategies. Synchronous learning is simply a type of learning that involves both the learners and the instructor staying in the same place. It could either be in the form of a traditional classroom setup or live online meetings.
On the other hand, asynchronous learning is a type of training that doesn’t involve the learners and the instructors staying in the same place. Simply put, this type of training doesn’t require any real-time interaction. Instead, it involves the creation of course content and making it readily available for the learners to access at their own pace. For the sake of this post, we’ll only be focusing on the asynchronous aspect of learning. That said, read on to find out how you can easily develop the best asynchronous learning strategy for your learners.
Six tips to create an effective asynchronous elearning strategy
Now that you’ve gotten a clear picture of what asynchronous learning is all about, the next question is – how do you develop a strategy that helps you deliver the best learning experience for your learners?
1. Make your expectations known and define the learning objectives
For you to develop a good asynchronous learning strategy, it all starts with setting clear expectations and going ahead to defining the learning objectives. To deliver the best learning experience, you need to create your content by clearly outlining what you expect from your learners. It doesn’t end there; further, state the type of skills the learners will acquire throughout the training and the time for which they need to complete the course.
To make things easy for them, you should also clearly state the amount of time the students need to set aside daily or weekly. Furthermore, offer regular assessments and clearly state their due dates. The bottom line is, by clearly defining your course objectives and making your expectations known, you’ll be able to deliver the best experience for your learners.
2. Encourage collaboration by creating an online forum
Apart from setting clear objectives, another way to develop an asynchronous learning strategy is by creating an online forum. Well, the primary purpose of this strategy is to encourage group collaboration. As earlier mentioned, asynchronous learning is a type of learning that doesn’t require the learners and instructors to be in the same place. Since that’s the case, you’ll easily agree with me that one of the challenges that learners will encounter with this learning process compared to synchronous learning is – the lack of direct access to their tutor and peer assistance.
This is where the need to create an online forum comes into the scene. By creating an online forum, you’ll be able to encourage group collaboration between the instructor and the learners. After creating the forum and allowing the learners to join, all you need to do is post a burning question on the present topic to initiate discussion. That way, ask the learners to post their opinions regarding the question and correct them where necessary.
3. Incorporate different eLearning activities
As we all know, there are different types of learners out there. First, there are Visual learners; they have a preference for visual elements, such as images, diagrams, flow charts, etc. Apart from that, there are also Auditory learners; they tend to learn better when the topic of discussion is delivered through sounds. Furthermore, there are Kinesthetic learners and Reading/writing learners; both of them learn through practicing things and text, respectively.
That said, for you to deliver the best experience for your learners, you need to cater to their individual learning needs. To do that, you must be able to incorporate different eLearning activities and elements into your course. So, in addition to your text-based content, ensure you add videos, audio, images, games, presentations, and all. However, while doing that, ensure you only incorporate them when necessary and in moderation.
4. Use stories and real-life examples to motivate learners
As an instructor, another challenge that you’ll likely encounter with asynchronous learning is the ability to connect with your learners. This is where the need to use stories and real-life examples comes into the scene. By using stories in your course, you can always connect to your learners, providing them with the best experience. When possible, use humor and real-life examples to keep them better engaged. However, ensure that the stories you’re using have a lot to do with the subject matter and enable the students to better connect with your course.
