Asynchronous Learning

When I read my colleague Liz's statement, I stumbled. She wrote that “online courses are typically asynchronous” . . . I say that  that may be dependent on the audience type. 

I know for our learning cohort in the refining industry our online learning is broken into CBTs (which could be considered asynchronous but really are more one dimensional “fire and forget” style learning) and Live Virtual Online learning that is synchronous.

I see more and more of our members turning to the synchronous learning model especially during the changes forced on us by the Covid virus. 

I wonder to what degree our learners are “encouraged” to learn has to do with this. Many of our courses are provided as a pre-req for our learners to do their jobs. Before they can go to work at the plant, they must take and pass the plant’s training and be able to pass their safety and skills training. Again, this is very “fire and forget.” Quick CBT’s designed to be taken quickly and prove their expertise and check a box (I’m working to change this model btw).

Our learners would not gravitate to long courses or programs that took many weeks and included discussion forums, assignments that went beyond that day, or group work, etc. Perhaps this is historical or traditional, or perhaps they don’t gravitate toward course work in general. One thing I would like to do, and strive to do, is link courses to career paths and career goals to that learning can be continual and relevant for our learners and they might want to engage in more extended courses and programs. 

I know you don’t have much to go on regarding my particular learning cohort, but what advice might you have to help me design things that would help change this dynamic for our learners? In what ways can I help promote continuous learning and asynchronous courses that last longer than a few hours our days?