Abstract:

This autoethnography will examine how faculty experimented within a bichronous learning environment to deliver an online teacher education course during Summer 2022. The first semester course had typically been delivered either in face to face or in an asynchronous online manner. However, when having to deliver the course content in an online format over nine sessions versus the typical twelve sessions, faculty thought it was a good opportunity to refine the course and its delivery modality.

Following iterations of delivering the Master level asynchronous online course in teacher education, faculty reflecting on their experiences expressed concerns about the quality of work submitted. For instance, one of the key course assignments required students to create and present visual depictions featuring their social identity markers, to include ethnicity, language, religion, and gender. Submissions were made via a discussion forum in the learning management system - CANVAS, and students were expected to review and provide constructive feedback that peers referenced to improve the project. Yet, the anecdotes provided by two faculty who previously taught the course revealed that candidates fell short when meeting the assignments' expectations. The question was why students were not meeting the expected outcomes.

When the faculty assigned to deliver the Summer 2022 course began to prepare, they discussed the concerns raised from previous iterations of the course. One of the faculty members was familiar with bichronous learning and suggested including a synchronous component. The rationale was to designate structured time for Zoom video conferencing sessions that would also allow students an opportunity to pose questions about the content and assignments. The structured three hour Zoom sessions allowed faculty to model good teaching practice and students opportunities to engage with each other in real time. The asynchronous portion of the course included discussion forums where students responded to guiding questions that prompted them to reference the assigned readings.

Martin et al. (2020) coined the term Bichronous online learning, which they defined as “the blending of both asynchronous and synchronous online learning, where students can participate in anytime, anywhere learning during the asynchronous parts of the course, but then participate in real-time activities for the synchronous sessions” (para. 6).

Pros of Bichronous Learning:
1. Real time dialogic interactions
2. Structured time
3. Increased Accountability
4. Immediate feedback
5. Greater student engagement and participation

Cons of Bichronous Learning:
1. Technical Issues
2. Scheduling conflicts
3. Access to internet and devices at specific times
4. Zoom fatigue

Participants viewing this virtual session will learn more about how my incorporating a synchronous session in the online course design resulted in improved student interaction and engagement. They will also hear about the outcomes of the experiment as it relates to student performance. The expectation is that they will be able to transform their own online courses where students may appear isolated and the learning environment passive versus active.

References:
[1] Martin, F., Polly, D., & Ritzhaupt, A.D. (2020). Bichronous online learning: Blending asynchronous and synchronous online learning. Educause review.

Keywords:

Bichronous learning, distance education, active learning, student engagement, teacher education.