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Asynchronous communication does not occur in real-time; participants “are not present in the same space and time�? as each other; this is the opposite to synchronous communication (Department Of Information And Communication Services, 2005). This form of communication can be found on the Internet in forms such as e-mail, listservs, discussion groups, weblogs, and forums (World Wide Learn, 2005).
E-mail is an asynchronous communication tool; the sender and receiver do not have to be in the same space as each other, or sending/recieving at the same time as each other. Listservs are an “automatic e-mail service�? that sends e-mails that can be read by the recipient at any time. Listserv e-mails cannot usually be replied to, and are only sent to subscribers (World Wide Learn, 2005). These are common on websites that send out weekly newsletters or advertisements; they are informative, can be read at any time, but cannot be replied to. A weblog or blog, which refers the term “web log�? is a personal or group webpage in which written entries are added by the owner of the blog. These pages can be read and commented on by others at any time, by accessing the web page that the weblog is contained on, for example Blogger is a service where people can create and view weblogs. Threaded discussions are an asycnronous communication tool, they are based on a topic that is discussed by a group of people, who contribute at different times. They are “like bulletin boards [because] one person leaves a message or asks a question, [and] another person leaves a response to the first message�?; this occurs different times. Forums are where people share and exchange ideas on a particular topic, with entries being made at various times by those participating in the forum, thus they are another form of sychronous communication.
In many virtual classrooms, “the instruction is delivered at one time and the work can be done at a different time�? (Oregon Network Education, date unknown). In this case, learning is self-directed, and asynchronous communication tools are used (Lehmann, 2004). Asynchronous tools used in the virtual classroom allow students to participate in various class activities, discussions, and other online interactions with their teacher and fellow class members, at their own pace and in their own time (World Wide Learn, 2005; Watkins, 2004). Both the teacher and the student benefit from asynchronous communication forms, such as discussion groups and forums, because the “entire discussion is recorded�?, points can be revised any time after or even during a discussion (Lehmann, 2004, p.19).
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Department Of Information And Communication Services (2005) “Selected Definitions,�? retrieved September 5, 2005, from http://csguide.auxservices.org/5.1.0.php
Lehmann, K.J. (2004) “Successful Online Communication�?, in K.J. Lehmann (ed.) How to be a Great Online Teacher, USA: Scarecrow Education, pp. 9-16. ISBN 1578861128
Oxford (2005) “Asynchronous,�? retrieved September 5, 2005, from http://csguide.auxservices.org/5.1.0.php
Oregon Network Education (date unknown) “Glossary of terms,�? retrieved September 5, 2005, from http://oregonone.org/glossary.htm
Watkins, R. (2004) “E-learning Study Skills and Strategies,�? Distance Learning vol.1, no.3, pp. 32-34.
World Wide Learn (2005) “Types of E-Learning,�? retrieved September 5, 2005, from http://www.worldwidelearn.com/elearning-essentials/elearning-types.htm
Amy Thompson 22:15, 27 Oct 2005 (EST)
