Asynchronous eLearning is learning that takes place online but does not require that students and instructors are online at the same time. Each participant completes coursework at a time that works in their schedules while still adhering to the pacing set by the instructor. In this model, there may be optional synchronous components, but the required coursework should be able to be completed without the use of synchronous learning.

Design considerations for asynchronous learning

Because students may be working at a time when you, as the instructor, are unavailable, it is important that students are able to navigate through the course as independently as possible. To make this achievable, consider the following:

• Use a home page that has the most important or most frequently accessed links
• Put your syllabus in the Syllabus area of your course navigation so students always know where to find it
• Disable all unused links in your course navigation to simplify the menu
• Utilize modules to organize content, helping to ensure that students complete work in order
• Add due dates to all assignments so students do not miss important work and stay on track
• Consider moving course content out of files (Word documents, PDFs, etc.) and into Pages in Canvas so students on mobile devices and Chromebooks do not have to download learning materials

Facilitation considerations for asynchronous learning

The best asynchronous online courses touch upon all elements of the Community of Inquiry framework: social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence.

Social presence

Social presence refers to being able to project the self as a "real person" within a course and being able to perceive others in the course as "real people," as well. Students need to know that there are other students in the course, and they need to know that their instructor is present and attentive to their needs. To achieve social presence, you may choose to implement some of the following in your course:

• Course discussions, especially those that allow students to make personal and real-world connections to course concepts
• Journaling activities where students can share what they're thinking and how they're feeling with their instructor and receive feedback on those thoughts and feelings
• Instructor-created videos, especially those that show the instructor's face and welcome students to the course, a module, an assignment, etc.
• Group work where students have ample time to work together towards a common goal

Cognitive presence

Cognitive presence refers to being able to "construct meaning through sustained communication" (The Community of Inquiry). Students need opportunities to learn the material presented in the course and to work with their instructor if and when they begin to struggle. To achieve cognitive presence, you may choose to implement some of the following in your course:

• Formative assessments that are low stakes and give students an opportunity to practice important skills prior to larger summative assessments
• Both individualized feedback on student submissions and summarized feedback presented to the class as a whole in the form of an announcement
• Online office hours (sometimes called student hours) where students can ask questions or receive clarification on course content
• Reflection activities where students can think meta-cognitively about their learning

Teaching presence

Teaching presence refers to the work that is done to ensure that students are meeting the learning objectives. This element encapsulates both design and facilitation. To achieve teaching presence, you may choose to implement some of the following in your course:

• Clearly stated course objectives and module/unit objectives that are aligned and are appropriate for the course level and subject area
• Assignments or discussions that allow students to choose from different options, demonstrating an understanding of differentiation in assessment
• A regular way for students to ask questions and receive answers (an optional direct instruction session that is recorded and posted, a course questions discussion board, etc.)
• A clearly organized and designed course that helps students stay on track (see design considerations above)