Communicate 4.3.1 – The Synchronous Session Quest

I believe that teachers need to meet with students in real time. Synchronous learning sessions are essential to making sure the learners are connected and feel part of the community. With the technology available, the synchronous session can take many forms. I think it is important to have a multiple way for the learner to communicate. Some learners are comfortable talking in live stream. Others may be more comfortable using a messaging feature. Having these different options helps personalize learning and make the online learning community more comfortable for the learner. This improves retention rate and encourages engagement. Just like a true classroom, there are the learners who enjoy speaking and those who are more introverted. It is important to meet all learners’ needs.

Having a synchronous session requires organizational and planning. I like the idea of having a practice session to let the learners try out tools and find out what works for them. Furthermore, I like the idea of varying who leads the sessions. This creates leadership opportunities, makes the learning environment comfortable, and gives a voice to everyone. I am on the fence about requiring attendance. I think it would be okay to require attendance as long as the learner had some choice in how he or she communicates. A synchronous session can build a learning community by promoting dialogue, bouncing ideas off one another and creating leadership opportunities.