First blog

Synchronous communication is when people are logged on online all together and communicate and collaborate on issues, conversations, and topics spoken about. Some examples of Synchronous communication is: msn, chat rooms and confrenece calls.

The benefit of synchronous communication is that people could could talk and communicate with people in the comfort of their own home, work station orvirtually anywhere- where the laptop or PC connects them. The advantages is that when people are liasing with people overseas, interstate or at late nights can do so without meeting in person, but rather connect online through these communication technologies.

In the activity guide it states that: “current trends in e-learning are indicating that effective learning can be advanced through the use of these communication techniques”. I beleive that in the current environment there are many drivers that suggest this statement, and they are as follows:

1. The new cyber generation: The cyber generation prefers to communicate via the web as oppose to meeting and greeting people in person

2. Technology is continually updating: the change in technology is inevitable, people are updating technology so that it is better, faster and a prefered way of communicating

3.Distance Education: People that are in rural areas and are completeing courses can know do so via podcast and vodcast of online learning material.

 In contrast, asynchronous communication is basically the opposite of synchronous communication, that is that the computer can be connected to the fax machine and printer without always working when the computer is on. A example of asynchronous communication is email.

The benefit of asynchronous communication is that people can communicate/ or deliver a message even if they are able to sit and have a long conversation. The current trends that encourage asynchronous learning is adult learners. There are people that are already in the workforce who are going back to get a degree or certificate. People that are in this range would prefer asynchronous communication technologies as it is available when they are ready to learn and access the information.