Synchronous+Technologies

With the propagation of broadband connections for accessing the Internet there are a growing number of synchronous technologies available to embellish e-learning, including “live, Web-enabled collaboration, meetings, conferences, and presentations” ( Rosenberg, 2001, p. 140 ). Numerous benefits accrue to learners and teachers from the use of these technologies and these topics are explored below ( Er, Ozden, & Arifoglu, 2009 ).

Benefits of Interaction
Both in the traditional and virtual classrooms, interaction and collaboration have been identified as a major factor in successful learning ( Allen, Crosky, McAlpine, Hoffman & Munroe, 2009; Cabrera-Lozoya, Cerdan, Cano, Sanchez, & Lujan, 2012; Martinez-Caro, 2011; So & Bonk, 2010; Watkins, 2005 ). Many studies have determined that student satisfaction and student learning “is heavily influenced by interaction between instructor-student and between student-student” ( Ferguson & DeFelice, 2010, p. 74 ). Gunawardena, Linder-VanBerschot, LaPointe, and Rao (2010) showed that collegial support in a learning environment is “the highest predictor of transfer of learning” ( p. 223 ) and Huang, Lin, and Huang (2010) suggest that situations should be created to “boost ‘students’ online participation in e-learning courses” ( p. 347 ), and if done correctly “could be even better than the interactivity achieved in the traditional setting” ( Martinez-Caro, 2011, p. 574 ). Studies show that the higher a learner perceives the level of collaboration the more satisfied they are with e-learning overall ( Diaz & Entonado, 2009 ).

Immediate Feedback and Guidance
Blanchard, Hinchey, and Bennett (2011) identified that when teachers can engage learners in a dialog and can get them to discuss their thought processes out loud it promotes autonomy of the student and supports learning. This is an acknowledged benefit of traditional classroom learning and becomes available to learners in a synchronous e-learning environment ( Huang et al., 2010 ) because adult learners need to know what they are trying to accomplish and how they are doing ( Zemke & Zemke, 1995 ). In e-learning the teacher seeks to become more of a guide, facilitator, and motivator ( Diaz & Entonado, 2009; Gonzalez-Gomez, Guardiola, Rodrigues, & Alonso, 2012 ) and can successfully achieve this through feedback.

Adaptability of Material and Pacing
In prepackaged instruction there is no ability to tailor the material to the knowledge level or understanding of the student. With synchronous learning, the teacher can assess the current understanding of the students and adapt the material or the pace of the presentation to facilitate better comprehension ( Er et al., 2009 ). //[The content of this page is extracted from Watts (2012).]//


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 * = References ||
 * * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Allen, B., Crosky, A., McAlpine, I., Hoffman, M., & Munroe, P. (2009). A blended approach to collaborative learning: Making large group teaching more student-centred. //The International Journal of Engineering Education, 25//(3), 569-576. Retrieved from http://www.ijee.ie/
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Blanchard, R. D., Hinchey, K. T., & Bennett, E. E. (2011, April). //Literature review of residents as teachers from an adult learning perspective//. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED521385
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Cabrera-Lozoya, A., Cerdan, F., Cano, M.-D., Garcia-Sanchez, D., Lujan, S. (2012). Unifying heterogeneous e-learning modalities in a single platform: CADI, a case study. //Computers & Education, 58//, 617-630. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2011.09.014
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Diaz, L. A., & Entonado, F. B. (2009). Are the functions of teachers in e-learning and face-to-face learning environments really different? //Educational Technology & Society, 12//(4), 331-343. Retrieved from http://www.ifets.info/
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Er, E., Ozden, M. Y., & Arifoglu, A. (2009). LIVELMS: A blended e-learning environment: A model proposition for integration of asynchronous and synchronous e-learning. //International Journal of Learning, 16//(2), 449-460. Retrieved from http://ijl.cgpublisher.co/product/pub.30/prod.206
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Ferguson, J. M., & DeFelice, A. E. (2010). Length of online course and student satisfaction, perceived learning, and academic performance. //International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 11//(2), 73-84. Retrieved from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Gonzalez-Gomez, F., Guardiola, J., Rodriguez, O. M., & Alonso, M. A. M. (2012). Gender differences in e-learning satisfaction. //Computers & Education, 58//, 283-290. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2011.08.017
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Gunawardena, C. N., Linder-VanBerschot, J. A., LaPointe, D. K., & Rao, L. (2010). Predictors of learner satisfaction and transfer of learning in a corporate online education program. //The American Journal of Distance Education, 24//(1), 207-226. doi:10.1080/08923647.2010.522919
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Huang, E. Y., Lin, S. W., & Huang, T. K. (2012). What type of learning style leads to online participation in the mixed‐mode e‐learning environment? A study of software usage instruction. //Computers & Education, 58//(1), 338‐349. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2011.08.00
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Martinez‐Caro, E. (2011). Factors affecting effectiveness in e‐learning: An analysis in production management courses. //Computer Applications in Engineering Education, 19//(3), 572‐581. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cae.v19.3/issueto
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Rosenberg, M. J. (2001). //E-learning: Strategies for delivering knowledge in the digital age//. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">So, H.-J., & Bonk, C. J. (2010). Examining the roles of blended learning approaches in computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environments: A Delphi study. //Educational Technology & Society, 13//(3), 189–200. Retrieved from http://www.ifets.info/
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Watkins, R. (2005). Developing interactive e-learning activities. //Performance Improvement, 44//(5), 5-7. Retrieved from http://www.ispi.org/content.aspx?id=154&linkidentifier=id&itemid=154
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Watts, S. W. (2012). //Synchronous versus asynchronous technologies//.Unpublished manuscript, Department of Education, Northcentral University, Prescott Valley, AZ.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Zemke, R., & Zemke, S. (1995). Adult learning: What do we know for sure? Training, 32//, 69-82. Retrieved from ERIC Database. (ED504481) ||