BYU Independent Study (BYU-IS) has been a provider of independent learning courses since the 1920s. With advancements in technology and progress in course development, BYU-IS has developed a learning model that is collaborative—providing student-to-student and student-to-teacher interaction—while simultaneously maintaining the flexibility of an asynchronous course model. This model includes live student/teaching assistant interactions in every lesson, synchronous virtual forums that are open for set hours each week for students to drop in and get help, partner assignments, and weekly cohort-type lesson activities and reviews.
Participants in this session will explore BYU-IS’s collaborative model and consider how to apply this model to your own organization’s asynchronous eLearning. You’ll examine case studies and statistics that demonstrate that more collaborative experiences for learners encourages higher-level thinking, greater subject mastery, and a more positive learning experience.
In this session, you will learn:
- The difference between distance or correspondence courses and online courses
- The challenges of implementing cohort or collaborative elements into asynchronous courses
- The benefits of collaborative learning experiences in online courses
- Technology you can use to support collaborative learning experiences
- How you can use collaborative technology to enhance student success