Communication Methods for Synchronous and Asynchronous Environments

Behaviorists and educators agree that participation and collaboration are critical for effective learning and for students to persist. That is why learners in both asynchronous and synchronous environments are required to participate individually with the facilitator and with the other class members. Learners in both modalities are also expected to participate and collaborate with other students as part of learning teams. The major difference between the two environments are the options that the learners have to communicate with each other. 

Communication Methods	Asynchronous	Synchronous
Email	•	•
Text	•	•
Recorded Audio/Video	•	•
Live Text, Instant Messaging		•
Live Audio/Video Conferencing		•
In Classroom or Meeting Space		•

Synchronous environments offer students more options for communicating with the facilitator and other class members whereas asynchronous environments are primarily text-based with the option of using recorded audio or video. Research has shown a growing interest of blended environments that offer students elements of both modalities.