Transitioning from Face-to-Face Instruction to Asynchronous vs. Synchronous Platforms: Lessons from COVID-19

This reflective paper examines the issues involved in moving from in-person college instruction to either an asynchronous or synchronous online course. The primary focus of this paper was the issues and challenges school systems across the United States faced when the COVID-19 caused nationwide school closures. The transition from traditional classroom settings to online environments was done quickly with the course content as the focus of these courses. As the course got underway, new issues arose, such as student engagement and the use of Learning Management Systems. Using Moore’s Types of Interactions, this reflection will examine the effectiveness of the transition to interactions with the instructor, student to student, course content, and system. The school closures of this magnitude have created a need to re-evaluate school emergency closure plans, training on schoolwide LMS, student engagement, and student social and emotional intelligence.