Asynchronous tasks can be used to help build skills development within your subject area. This enables students to learn independently so that they can come to synchronous sessions prepared to apply these skills. They can also be useful to act as revision guides to refer to if needed.
Flipped Learning
Flipped learning is a student-centred pedagogical approach that puts active learning at the heart of the curriculum, supports independent study and gives ownership of the learning over to the student.
Unlike traditional pedagogic approaches, materials and tasks (such as micro lectures or pre-reading) are given to students prior to a lesson and instructed to work through these independently. Meaning that key concepts and practical acquisition are focussed on asynchronously and that the synchronous sessions can be used for more active application of the learning.
Benefits:
More time providing deeper learning opportunities as basic information has already been shared
Development of independent learning skills
Re-use of content (with amendments)
Classroom time is used to interact with materials in more depth
Ann Draycott (Lincoln School of Design) develops a wealth of video resources to guide students through technical procedures. This flipped-classroom approach allows students to attend workshops prepared and informed, allows independent study and review of technical detail, making workshop time more efficient. A video library, filmed on mobile devices is uploaded to Panopto, to give students’ flexibility in their studies.
LinkedIn Learning is a tool that all students and staff have access to for free during their time at the University. This includes more than 14,000 courses led by industry experts that can be used to supplement your teaching with independent skills development. By providing tutorials when teaching new technology students can do this independently to free up more time for in depth discussion and application. This works well with the benefits mentioned in the Flipped learning approach above.
Empowering students to create and produce resources asynchronously can be a productive way of applying knowledge shown through tangible outcomes. There are several benefits to this approach:
Students have some control and direction over their learning.
Materials can be used for future cohorts as resources.
Students can use the current materials as evidence or revision.
It can be used for peer-feedback.
Examples in Practice
Student Creating an Information Video
Dr Clare Miller engages students with public health topics, challenging their communication skills through producing short videos. The activity builds presentation and communication skills in a digital age. Students make use of various video editing software and submit their formal assignments via Panopto.
Dr Chris O’Rourke (Lincoln School of Film and Media) as part of a formal assessment, students are required to create their own blog explaining a critical or controversial academic topic. Students are encouraged to reflect on and practice different tones of voice. This is concerned with developing skills in translating academic research for non-academic audiences, as well as digital skills.
