5 Synchronous Learning Advantages

1. It is cost effective.
You do want the best for your employees, don’t you? Imagine having
the chance to provide them with knowledge from the best experts from
around the world for their training, without paying the accommodation
and travel expenses that traditional corporate training involves. Your
employees can take their online training courses at home or at their
offices while connecting not only with the most reputable trainers, but
also with their colleagues who live in different cities or even different
countries without having to move. The only costs you need to have in
mind are those related to the development of the eLearning course, as
well as the trainer fees.
2. It is convenient.
Taking an online training course without having to be in the same
location with the rest of your peers, regardless of their position on the
world map, provides a great level of flexibility, especially for large
organizations that have a globally distributed workforce. Apart from
videoconferencing, your employees are given the opportunity to
participate in online discussions from any location, as long as they have
an internet connection. As physical barriers of distance are eliminated,
your staff may use any device for their online training, from desktop
computers to mobile phones and tablets.
3. Provides immediate feedback.
Real-time interaction means instant feedback, and instant feedback
allows not only your employees to immediately get their questions
answered, but also trainers and instructors to immediately recognize
difficulties in understanding of the online course material. Rapid
feedback has an incredibly important role in eLearning; it enhances
knowledge retention by keeping your audience active in the learning
process, as a quick response allows your audience to learn from their
mistakes and to eliminate the chances of repeating them in the future.
4. It is highly motivating.
A synchronous learning environment enhances learning by increasing
 your corporate audience's motivation levels, as real-time interactions
are much more engaging than the isolated environment
of asynchronous learning. Using performance goals in real-time
activities is a great way to inspire your employees to demonstrate and
develop their skills and abilities while competing with each other in
engaging team player eLearning games. Real-time activities provide
ongoing motivation, as they encourage participation from all
employees, even the most reticent ones.
5. Fosters a sense of community.
Social interaction and collaboration are the essence of synchronous
learning, as your employees have the ability to communicate not only
with their trainers and instructors, but also with each other, no matter
where they are located. Organizing a series of online group activities
encourages team work and cooperation, as online discussions allow
your audience to develop their learning community in online forums or
in social networks and exchange ideas, questions, and concerns about
the eLearning course material.
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5 Synchronous Learning Disadvantages

1. It is strictly technology-based.
This goes, of course, for online learning in general; however, the truth is
there are several large organizations, the employees of which may still
lack sufficient computer skills in order to get their training online. This
means that these people might struggle to engage in a synchronous
online training program. Lack of technical knowledge, poor computer
skills, and inability to handle the various technologies involved
in synchronous learning may tremendously frustrate and discourage
online learners, so high dropout rates might be expected.
2. Demands a high speed internet connection.
It is true that synchronous learning requires a good bandwidth, and this
could be an issue when online training for distributed workforce is
 involved. Trying to synchronize several different areas in the world
via collaborative learning technologies can be challenging, but different
bandwidth capabilities may create serious problems.
3. Local time barriers.
Synchronous learning eliminates barriers of distance, but what about
barriers of time? Different time zones can create communication
challenges, as a synchronous learning course requires from
both employees and trainers to be online at the same time. Distributed
workforce has conflicting work schedules, and sometimes not even
technology is able to facilitate real-time interactions.
4. Requires careful planning.
Speaking of conflicting schedules, as a consequence of the above
disadvantage comes the challenging planning process that synchronous
learning requires. Coordination of schedules is absolutely necessary, but
sometimes not possible. To ensure full participation to an asynchronous
learning course you need to carefully plan your online meetings;
however, different time zones can lead to very limited time frames,
which naturally weaken both the training group’s identity and the virtual
community’s interpersonal bonds.
5. It is challenging for employees with poor social skills.
Studying at one’s own pace creates a sense of isolation, but some of
your employees might crave this exact sense. A synchronous learning
experience demands active participation and collaboration, and some
members of your workforce might not be as social, as open, or as
communicative. This is not a wrong thing by default; after all, you don’t
need all of your employees to have strong communication skills, only
the ones that are expected to work closely with others or to connect
with customers. However, in a synchronous learning environment the
“quieter” employees may find it challenging to participate in online
discussions or online group activities, and learner frustration is never
welcome in a successful online training program.
5 Asynchronous Learning Advantages

1. Offers employees complete control over their learning.

As a learner-centered method, asynchronous learning gives employees full
responsibility of their online training experience. This means that everyone is allowed
to decide how, when, and where to learn. Furthermore, not only distance but also time
barriers are eliminated, and thus, as employee-trainer interaction takes place
according to personal schedules, there is more potential for personalized guidance and
attention from online facilitators or trainers.
2. Respectful to one’s own learning pace.
Asynchronous learning gives employees time to reflect on what they are learning
before answering questions or joining online discussions. As not all employees absorb
the online training material in the same way, an asynchronous learning solution can
benefit even employees with poor learning skills by offering them the ability to take
their time to complete responses and develop their critical thinking skills.
3. Convenient.
Asynchronous learning is the ideal learning solution for adults with busy schedules,
as it doesn’t require employees to be online at a specific day or time. Employees can
communicate with their online facilitator or virtual classmates at their own
convenience and instantly have access to information, online training assignments,
and other online resources.
4. Less social obstacles.
While online interaction and collaboration are proven to enhance the online training
experience, the truth is that there are many employees out there who don’t enjoy
socializing and feel uncomfortable about the idea of participating in online
discussions, where their more dominating peers have the greatest impact upon the
virtual classroom. An asynchronous learning approach helps introverted learners
eliminate social anxiety, as learning in isolation makes them feel safer and more
comfortable.
5. Interactive regardless of location and time barriers.
Asynchronous learning methods allow employees not only to learn at their own pace,
but also to interact with their peers and online facilitator no matter which the time
zone they live in is. Discussion boards, blogs, and emails are always available to
ensure that online interaction is effective, online collaboration for group projects is
possible, and conversation takes place over distance and place.
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5 Asynchronous Learning Disadvantages 

 1. Lacks instant feedback.
Feedback in eLearning is essential, as it helps both employees and trainers address
issues and misunderstandings related to the online training course material. And, of
course, the quicker the feedback is received, the sooner can the employees get back
on the right learning track. In an asynchronous learning environment instant feedback
is impossible, as the online training course is not live and employees may waste
valuable time waiting for their questions to be answered by their trainers or even their
peers.
2. Lacks personal interaction.
Personal interaction among participants is eliminated in the asynchronous learning
context, and the lack of a more “human” atmosphere disconnects employees not only
from their peers, but, interestingly enough, from the online training material itself; not
feeling part of a learning environment can make employees see the online training
course as a burden. Learning in isolation may work for some, but it certainly does not
work for most people who need personal interaction in order to maintain or even
increase their motivation levels. All in all, not being able to personally interact with
other people can lead to failure to achieve the learning goals and outcomes of the
online training course.
3. No live collaboration and real time activities.
Learning at one’s own pace also means waiting for others to respond, often for long
periods of time. Asynchronous learning doesn’t offer the ability for real time
discussions and live collaboration, both of which are proven to increase motivation
and engagement. Furthermore, overall communication between collaborators can be
difficult due to the general sense of being isolated and “disconnected”.
4. Can cause lack of motivation.
Lack of live interaction can disengage and demotivate employees, who may need
encouragement and stimulation in order to log in, read the material, and complete the
online training course. In fact, procrastination is more likely to occur in an
asynchronous learning environment than in any other online learning environment.
Personal interaction helps employees maintain their interest, whereas isolation rarely
boosts motivation.
5. Requires self-discipline.
Finally, asynchronous learning asks from participants to be focused, goal oriented,
and with great time management skills. Success in an asynchronous learning
environment requires of employees to be both strongly committed and disciplined,
which can be a huge disadvantage for those who are not exactly highly self-
motivated.
Knowing the advantages and disadvantages of asynchronous learning can help you determine
whether it is ideal for your future online training plans. There is no doubt that asynchronous
learning can be incredibly beneficial, but there are certainly some cons to consider before
following a pure asynchronous learning approach.

However, there are certainly some ways in which you can achieve success in developing
effective asynchronous learning programs: Read the article 6 Tips For Creating Engaging
Asynchronous Online Training Courses and discover 6 tips for asynchronous online training that
can help you develop engaging, exciting, and memorable online training courses.
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