The Future at the Brink: Asynchronicity in the Classroom and Pop Culture

David Pogue comedian and technology contributor to the New York Times and CNBC presents a short video “debating the Future of Television”. The video is a little more even handed than his article in the NY Times TV’s Future Has Arrived (Almost). Pogue continues to prefer Apple products so his article focuses more on the new AppleTV than the new capability of the Roku set top box. But I digress. The real issue in terms of new media is sychronicity and asynchronicity.

Growing up in a black family in Dayton Ohio we did not stop for the Beatles appearance on Ed Sullivan. But I do remember when Atlanta stopped and watched the television miniseries Roots. The last episode of MASH was a social occasion.  Network executives orchestrated television events as the ritual behavior. The family or other social entities gathered around an icon to watch. Pogue observes, in passing, that the possibility that such events will be rarer. The set top box allows a person or group to watch on demand.  The gadgets like TIVO and Slingbox allow persons to schedule what they watch. Will students expect classes to work around their schedule like their television?

The Educause Learning Initiative online conference Blended Learning: The 21st-Century Learning Environment, September 15 and 16 2010 explored the combination synchronous and asynchrononus environments. The shift from broadcast television to on demand television does put pressure for on demand education but Educause views blended learning as much as an opportunity as a threat.

Let’s take a moment and nuance our topic a little. Synchronous and asynchronous is a matter of time; it brackets the question of space. Synchronous can happen in Second Life as easily as it does in a classroom on campus. So one question is the value added of synchronous learning environments.  Theodor Nelson could be construed as a strong proponent of asynchronous learning but without an orchestrated dialog.  The face-to-face synchronous learning environment has clear benefits but the new world of television there will be increasing need for educators to make a case for face-to-face synchronous learning environments.

Religious communities are not immune from this time shifting pressure. The on demand television is the next step to tele-evangelism. I do not know whether television audiences outstrip the numbers in the pews. But I know it would be nice if church met according to my schedule.