Synchronous and Asynchronous Learning Tools: 15 Strategies for Engaging Online Students Using Real-time Chat, Threaded Discussions and Blogs

In a traditional classroom, students have many opportunities to interact with their instructor and fellow students. Creating similar opportunities for meaningful interaction in the online environment requires careful design, the right tools, and a willingness to experiment a bit.

Download your copy of Synchronous and Asynchronous Learning Tools: 15 Strategies for Engaging Online Students Using Real-time Chat, Threaded Discussions and Blogs.

This 25-page special report will provide you with specific strategies on how to use synchronous and asynchronous learning tools to engage your online students.

Here are just some of the articles you will find in the report:

• A Plan for Effective Discussion Boards
• Using Video Clips to Stimulate Discussion
• Nine Strategies for Using IM in Your Online Course
• Using Individual and Group Instant Messaging to Engage Students
• Four Ways to Improve Discussion Forums

This report is loaded with practical advice from educators who’ve found effective ways to promote learning and build community in their online courses. Get it now »

Week in Review

Monday, December 13

Tips for Restoring Classroom Civility

Most people, when they conceive of hell, conjure up an image of a subterranean inferno to which sinners are forever consigned to an afterlife of endless suffering and punishment. But according to Dr. Gerald Amada, author of Coping with the Disruptive College Student: A Practical Model, hell also can take many temporal forms, especially in the world of academia.

Tuesday, December 14

Beware of Faculty Promotion and Tenure Pitfalls

Controversies surrounding promotion and tenure can lead to legal trouble for departments and institutions. It’s up to academic leaders to guard against possible pitfalls by adopting, disseminating, and implementing equitable policies.

Wednesday, December 15

Effective Uses of Video in the Classroom

Some teachers are resistant to showing videos in their classrooms because they think of them as cheating. Teachers get paid to use up class time, and filling it with something made by someone else seems like shirking their duties. But this is wrong.

Thursday, December 16

Four Characteristics of Outstanding Teachers

The quest to identify the ingredients, components, and qualities of effective instruction has been a long one. Starting in the 1930s, researchers sought to identify the common characteristics of good teachers. Since then, virtually everybody who might have an opinion has been asked, surveyed, or interviewed.

Friday, December 17

Faculty Respond to A Vision of Students Today

A Vision of Students Today is a short video created by Professor Michael Wesch and 200 Kansas State students that's been viewed more than 4 million times. After watching the video, faculty at the University of South Carolina responded with their own version highlighting strategies professors use to engage their students. Both videos are terrific. Watch them here.

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• Banning Laptops from the Classroom
• Developing Students’ Self-Directed Learning Skills
• Solutions for Student Incivility
• How to Get Your Students to Read What’s Assigned
• Syllabus Redesign: Strategies That Support Students with Disabilities

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Holiday Publishing Schedule

Due to the holidays, we will not be publishing during the weeks of December 20 and December 27. We'll be back on our regular schedule starting January 3, and look forward to being with you again in the new year.

Best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season!