What’s the difference between an instructor-led online course and a self-directed one?
Synchronous, or instructor-led training, allows for real-time interaction between students and the instructor. Asynchronous, or self-directed learning, allows students to access online materials anytime. Will I feel too isolated if I take an online professional development course? We encourage participants to go through these courses in district or school-based cohorts, so you can work together with your colleagues to meet course expectations. Many participants tell us their “online cohorts,” who may be across the country, become close collaborators and confidants. In fact, many report they feel freer to express themselves with someone in another state than they do with a colleague down the hall.
