Collaboration in an online environment

2. Synchronous and asynchronous collaboration in group work

In a digital learning environment, collaboration among students takes many forms, and it is particularly important to distinguish between synchronous and asynchronous collaboration. Both approaches have specific advantages and challenges, and their combination can significantly enhance the group work experience.

Synchronous collaboration refers to activities that take place in real time. Students participate in discussions, share ideas, and make decisions together at the same time. This is most often done through video conferencing tools such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or BigBlueButton. The benefits of synchronous work include a sense of presence and community, rapid exchange of ideas, and the ability to immediately clarify ambiguities. At the same time, this way of working can be challenging when students have different schedules or are in different time zones.

Asynchronous collaboration, on the other hand, allows students to work and contribute to the project in their own time. Tools like the Moodle LMS forum, Google Workspace, Padlet or shared documents in OneDrive facilitate this way of working. The advantage of asynchronous collaboration is flexibility, students can thoughtfully develop their ideas, react to colleagues' comments and work out tasks in detail without time pressure. The main challenge lies in the need for clear deadlines and coordination to avoid delays and uneven contributions from team members.

The best results in group work are achieved by combining synchronous and asynchronous activities. For example, students can start a project with a synchronous meeting to define goals and divide tasks, and then continue collaborating asynchronously through the exchange of materials, comments, and co-editing of documents. Finally, a final real-time meeting can serve as a synthesis of results and reflection.

Such a combination allows for more efficient time management, encourages accountability from all members, and creates a balance between direct communication and thoughtful contribution.