What is the difference between Synchronous and Asynchronous Instruction?

Balancing, structuring, and facilitating synchronous and asynchronous learning is a key component to the remote classroom. But what does that really mean and how is it informed by my teaching practice? 

Let’s really break down what these two ideas mean in terms of teaching: 

• Synchronous means teacher-facilitated (not teacher live) it means we are there in some capacity to guide our students’ learning and passion for learning. 

• Asynchronous means self-paced; we did this all the time in person. Giving students time to figure it out on their own pacing.
  

Note: These images (and all images used throughout this course) can be found on the right as downloadable PDFs.