5 Ways to Make Asynchronous Learning More Student-Centered 

MOVING YOUR CLASS ONLINE AND KEEPING THE FOCUS ON YOUR KINDS

After 12 years of teaching online in both synchronous and asynchronous classrooms, I’ve come to realize that student engagement is the lifeblood on virtual learning. I’ve also learned that creativity is the key to successful student engagement.

Whether you’re new to online teaching or have been doing it for years, all of us need a refresher from time to time.

#1 – Use a Learning Management System (LMS)

Your class needs a headquarters. You can’t simply email students assignments and expect everyone to stay organized. That’s why I recommend teachers use a Learning Management System. An LMS organizes both you and your students so that you can meet all your course objectives. 

What is an LMS?

Think of a Learning Management System as a virtual classroom where you can deliver and track online learning. Lectures and reading assignments are stored there. Students find and turn in their assignments there. Teachers grade everything there. If you’re not using an LMS, you’re missing out. Nothing will organize your class more quickly than loading everything into an LMS.

Here are some of my favorite Learning Management Systems:

• Teachable
• Thinkific
• Moodle
• Blackboard
• Google Classroom

#2 – List all your student’s assignments in one place. 

One of the biggest drivers of confusion in online learning comes when students don’t know “where to go” when they log on. Students need their assignments to live in one location so they know exactly what is expected of them. I know of some teachers who email their students some assignments, put others in a Learning Management System (LMS), and give other assignments orally over Zoom. This causes a ton of confusion and frustration in your students. 

When students have to search all over for what they need to do, they will miss something along the way. Make it easy on your students and yourself by using an LMS like Teachable or Thinkific to create a single portal for students to access and turn in all assignments. If you have a single place where student start their day when they log in, you’ll eliminate that confusion. Even if you link out to other sites, the links should all live in that home base. Your students will feel much more in control of their own learning knowing there is a single place they need to visit to get all of their directions and instructions.  

#3 – Communicate your communication plan. 

It’s easy to feel like you’re left out in the dark when you’re learning online. When you don’t know what to do, you often don’t know who to turn to for help. My suggestion is to create a clear communication plan. You want your communication plan to be listed in your LMS at the top of your course so students know how to contact you when they feel lost. 

A good communication plan includes: 

1. A clear list of places where you will communicate with students. That may include your email address, LMS messaging system, or phone number. 

2. A communication response protocol. Students need to know how quickly you will respond when they ask a question. You want to state clear language like, “When you email me, you can expect an answer within 24 hours, Monday-Friday.” 

3. Virtual office hours.  Consider holding office hours where students know they can get a live response from you over phone, chat, or personal Zoom meeting room. The number of students you have will impact the depth of communication you can have. Consider opening up time slots where students can sign up for a time to meet with you. 

#4 – Facilitate student collaboration.

One of the pitfalls to avoid in asynchronous learning is to isolate students where they never interact with each other. Just because you’re not meeting face-to-face doesn’t mean that students can’t work together. You can still create group assignments where students have to collaborate, and enable discussion boards where students comment on each other’s submissions. There are tools to make transition your in-person group work into virtual assignments such as breakout sessions. With some creativity and a little experience, you can create a collaborative environment, even if you’re not logging on at the same time.

#5 – Add a Just for Fun discussion board to the top of your course

Students want to get to know each other, even if they’re not meeting face-to-face. In order to facilitate social interaction and buy-in to the class, consider creating a Just for Fun discussion board where students can share about themselves. Participation is optional, but encouraged. You can post a Question of the Week to help spur on the conversation such as, “What’s the last time you felt really proud of yourself?” or “What country would you like to visit and why?” Just make sure you have a list of guidelines for appropriate and kind interaction on the board. 

We have to keep in mind that our students are whole people who need social interaction to stay connected and motivated. While you don’t want the Just for Fun board to overrun class discussion, you should leave it option so that those social conversations don’t bleed into spaces meant for academic discussion. 

Conclusion

Just because a class moves online doesn’t mean that student-centered learning has to stop. But by implementing these 5 strategies, you’ll see student engagement increase.

Until next time, Happy teaching!
Andrea