A Case Study of Polysynchronous Learning in University Bioscience Education

Abstract

Contemporary university students are engaging in new ways with teachers, peers and content in and out of class capitalizing on the affordances of mobile devices and new kinds of synchronous and asynchronous online learning tools. The multiple ever-present communication streams that are emerging through these new tools and devices are leading to learning scenarios incorporating interaction patterns that have the potential to transform the learning process. The term ‘polysynchronous learning’ has been co-opted and adapted to capture these new learning scenarios. This paper draws on the findings from a case study of polysynchronous learning within a university Histology subject in order to illustrate some of the key aspects of these scenarios and the ways in which the student learning experience is changing as a result.