As classes at Citrus College continue to be conducted remotely, asynchronous classes that offer video and audio lectures have been much more effective for me than asynchronous classes that don’t offer a lecture of any kind.
Asynchronous classes are online courses that offer the learning material at any time, so that students can access the course material whenever they want to.
This allows for a more flexible class than synchronous classes, which are remote courses that meet at a specific time.
I have experienced two main ways that professors like to teach their asynchronous classes.
The first form of an asynchronous class offers a way to listen to the professor speak. This is often accompanied by some form of visual presentation, usually a PowerPoint.
The second form of asynchronous class focuses primarily on the textbook, and doesn’t include video or audio pre-recorded lectures.
Over the several online courses that I have taken, I found that the inclusion of video and audio lectures offer a much better learning experience than simply assigning textbook readings.
Textbooks aren’t for everyone. In my case, that couldn’t be more true. I struggle quite a bit when it comes to reading a textbook. My focus gets diverted often; I will often read a page without really focusing on the content, and I will have remembered nothing of what I had just read.
On the other hand, pre-recorded video and audio lectures recreate the in-class experience as closely as possible while still offering flexibility.
Most online classes that I have taken in this fashion included weekly video lectures and I’ve managed to do well.
The couple of times that I had come across the textbook-oriented kind of asynchronous class has not offered the same positive experience, however. It doesn’t feel like I’m being taught by a professor, and I tend to perform worse in the class than I would have in a class with video lectures.
The biggest issue regarding the differences between asynchronous classes is that Wingspan doesn’t distinguish the differences within asynchronous classes. When I’m signing up for a class, it only displays information about whether the class is synchronous or asynchronous.
I would like to see a feature added to Wingspan one day that allows teachers to leave a small message to students about how the class is conducted. Students could then know more about the class that they are signing up for.
Until a feature like that is added, I usually email the teacher and ask about how they structure their class. This way, I’m certain that I will get a class that is both effective and enjoyable.
