Asynchronous interaction means interaction that doesn't require participants to be online at the same moment in time. asynchronous technologies support dialog and file exchange among users whose schedules conflict, or who live in widely separated time zones.
Email
Email supports asynchronous interaction; the message I post for you today will stay in your email box until you find time to read and respond to it. As a flexible and familiar technology, email can be a powerful support to learning. Users are better able to concentrate on the content of an exchange when they are not confused or distracted by the technology involved. Modern email software also makes it easy for users to attach and exchange files.
Free email accounts are now available from a variety of sites on the Web . Examples include:
- Microsoft HotMail,
- Juno and
- Netscape LifeTime Email
Mailing Lists
Mailing list technologies extend the simplicity of email to groups. Lists are message distribution tools. From the subscriber's perspective, list traffic looks like email. But a message sent to the list address is automatically sent to everybody who has subscribed to the list.
Mailing lists are a simple technology from the user's perspective. Users access lists with their email software. The complexity is on the server end.
To find out more about mailing lists, consult the Mailing List Manager FAQ. To operate a mailing list for your learning resource, talk with your system administrator. Find out what software resides on your server for maintaining lists. Widely-used mailing list management packages include Mailserv, Listserv and Majordomo.
If none is installed, turn to your Internet Service Provider. Many ISPs offer list creation and management functions as part of the package. Find out what users must do to subscribe to the list and present the instructions as part of your resource.
Finally, there are free mailing list services available on the Web :
Newsgroups
Usenet newsgroups are similar to mailing lists in that a single address reaches many individuals. Unlike a list, however, Usenet postings are not distributed to individual subscribers. Instead, subscribers have to connect with a Usenet news site that carries the group in order to read the postings. Posts are retained, or archived, by the system for a period of time, so subscribers who join the conversation later can still read the first messages exchanged in the group. To read Usenet postings, learners must have newsreader software; today, most people access Usenet with the newsreaders that are built into their Web browsers. Usenet news groups may not be picked up by all news sites, but once picked up they are open to anyone who has access to the Internet.
Establishing a Usenet newsgroup is a bit more work than establishing a mailing list. If you want to pursue this route, be sure to read and follow the protocol for establishing Usenet newsgroups. Brian Edmonds also offers clear instructions for creating and effectively promoting a group.
Web Boards
Web boards are a less cumbersome alternative to Usenet, particularly for groups that will function more effectively as closed communities. Web boards, like newsgroups, require that users visit a site on the Net to examine the postings. On the site, users may read postings with their browsers, and enter new messages or replies using a form established for that purpose.
A number of providers offer free Web-board space in exchange for the right to display banner advertising to all comers. Examples include:
- InsideTheWeb
- Bulletin Boards and
- XPoint CGI
Web boards are typically accessible to all who have Internet access. As a practical matter, however, the only people who will frequent the board are those who know of its existence.
Web Crossing Chat and Conferencing isn't free, but it is popular and well-supported. WebCrossing is a web-board messaging system that also sends postings via email to subscribers.
If you plan to use asynchronous communications in your course, you should be sure to establish a clear schedule for participants. You may be using these methods for providing assistance to students, for promoting a topical discussion among your students, or for submission of assignments, and it's important to gauge how to space deadlines so that each participant has adequate time to read, think/work, and respond.
