Perspectives of learning in synchronous online education

Online learning is on the rise, and synchronous online learning in particular is gaining traction in the higher education field. To better understand how instructional strategies and technology are leveraged to maximize opportunities for meaningful and higher-level student learning, a deeper dive into what happens in a synchronous online class from the perspectives of all of its participants is necessary to best understand how to synthesize and apply best practices. The purpose of this study is to understand from the instructor’s and students’ perspectives what learning looks like in a synchronous online class and how it contributes to student learning. The research question is answered through a case study that included interviews with a single instructor and students from multiple courses she taught. Based on the data gathered and analyzed from the study, responses showed students identified key learning opportunities when they were provided scaffolding activities, when given opportunities to engage in meaningful guided discussions with peers, and when asked to reflect and think critically about their practice. On this basis, it is recommended that instructors of synchronous online learning courses provide ample opportunities for students to participate in instructional scaffolds to build their knowledge, participate in dialogue with peers through whole class discussions and smaller break out groups facilitated by the videoconferencing technology provided, and to embed activities that require students to reflect on their practice.