What do the terms asynchronous and synchronous communication mean?
These technical terms describe two distinct forms of communication. Asynchronous communication does not happen in real time; it occurs when the sender and receiver are involved in the process at different times (such as posting a message on either an Internet-based or actual bulletin board). Synchronous communication occurs when the sender and receiver are involved in the process at the same time (as in a face-to-face conversation or an electronic chat room). In synchronous communication, participants must be located in the same physical or virtual place so they can ‘talk’ back and forth; in asynchronous communication, they do not. Distance learning programs may take advantage of both forms of communication.
These technical terms describe two distinct forms of computer communication. Asynchronous does not happen in real time (such as posting a message on either an Internet-based or actual bulletin board). Synchronous occurs when the student is at their computer at the time the class is being offered at the WPI campus.
