Workshop Content: Integrating In-Person and Online Learning (Blended)-Twelve Tips for Creating and Supporting a Meaningful Asynchronous Learning as Parts of Virtual Transition of a Curriculum (MedEdPublish, 2021)

Twelve Tips for Creating and Supporting a Meaningful Asynchronous Learning as Parts of Virtual Transition of a Curriculum (MedEdPublish, 2021)

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The article "Twelve Tips for Creating and Supporting a Meaningful Asynchronous Learning as Parts of Virtual Transition of a Curriculum" by Maheshwari et al. (2021) addresses the shift toward asynchronous learning (ASL) in medical education, especially accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors emphasize the importance of designing high-quality virtual curricula that combine technology with evidence-based educational principles. Using the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, which focuses on cognitive, social, and teaching presences, they provide practical guidance for educators to foster meaningful online learning experiences.

Key points include:

1. <strong>Social Presence</strong>: Creating psychologically safe virtual environments promotes open communication, emotional expression, and group cohesion. Educators should facilitate learner introductions, use social software (e.g., Flipgrid, Microsoft Teams), and encourage active participation to reduce isolation and build community.

2. <strong>Cognitive Presence</strong>: Instructional design should support knowledge acquisition through encoding, consolidation (interleaving), and retrieval processes. Approaches such as spaced learning, multimedia learning guided by Mayer’s principles (segmenting, pre-training, coherence, signaling), and various interactive media (quizzes, animated videos, case-based learning) enhance engagement and retention.

3. <strong>Teaching Presence</strong>: Educators must design and organize content explicitly, facilitate discourse by encouraging balanced participation, offer direct instruction to correct misconceptions, and provide feedback. Pratt’s teaching perspectives (transmission, apprenticeship, developmental, nurturing, social reform) serve as a framework to align teaching styles with asynchronous methods.

4. <strong>Technology Integration</strong>: The authors highlight the risk of technology use becoming an end rather than a means. They advocate using models like PICRAT (Passive, Interactive, Creative; Replacement, Amplification, Transformation) to purposefully select technology based on how it affects pedagogy and learner engagement.

5. <strong>Maintaining Teaching Identity</strong>: Educators should engage in self-reflection to stay true to their pedagogical values during virtual transitions, mitigating identity dissonance and preserving teaching effectiveness in online formats.

In conclusion, the article offers a comprehensive and practical blueprint for medical educators to create effective asynchronous curricula by integrating sound educational theory, technological tools, and personal teaching philosophy, aiming to foster active learning, community, and meaningful engagement despite the challenges of virtual environments.

Keywords

Asynchronous Learning

Medical Education

Community of Inquiry

Social Presence

Cognitive Presence

Teaching Presence

Technology Integration

Virtual Curriculum

Educational Technology

Teaching Identity