Key factors for designing and delivering an effective asynchronous professional learning experience

Abstract

In this paper, we explore the key factors for designing and delivering an effective asynchronous professional learning experience. This research study was developed with 107 participants in a module of a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP) - a qualification which is offered to new academics at a United Kingdom (UK) Russell Group university, in line with practice at many other UK higher education institutions (HEIs). The module design was led by a range of factors which the relevant literature deems important for ensuring successful asynchronous online learning design. A questionnaire was created to measure participants’ overall perceptions regarding efficiency (learning context, facilitation, tutor feedback, peer feedback) and gains (presence, participation, persistence, connectedness, sense of community, learning experience). Participants were also invited to refer to the extent to which peer collaboration contributed to learning, to how far they felt part of a community on the module and to whether the asynchronous learning approach facilitated learning. Our results both confirmed and contradicted the positive findings of the literature: respectively, our participants did indeed find that many of the asynchronous design factors led, for them, to successful learning; they also identified some of the factors (e.g., peer feedback) as more challenging. We discuss the results of our study in terms of the effectiveness of this range of factors, considering the specific context of our module; we raise relevant questions about the issues and dilemmas involved in designing and delivering asynchronous learning courses when participants have a dual role as both learners and teachers.