Synchronous conferencing or synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) is any form of computer-mediated communication that occurs in real-time; that is, there is no significant delay between sending and receiving messages. SCMC includes real-time forms of text, audio, and video communication. SCMC has been highly studied in the context of e-learning. Synchronous conferencing protocols include:

Types

According to the type of media used, synchronous conferencing can be divided into According to the number of access point used, synchronous conferencing can be divided into

Synchronous vs asynchronous conferencing

Both synchronous and asynchronous conferencing are online conferencing where the participants can interact while being physically located at different places in the world. Asynchronous conferencing allows the students to access the learning material at their convenience while synchronous conferencing requires that all participants including the instructor and the students be online at the time of the conference. While synchronous conferencing enables real-time interaction of the participants, asynchronous conferencing allows participants to post messages and others can respond to it at any convenient time. Sometimes a combination of both synchronous and asynchronous conferencing is used. Both methods give a permanent record of the conference.

Methods

Some of the methods used in synchronous conferencing are:

Critical factors for effective implementation

There are four critical factors identified for implementing synchronous conferencing for effective instruction to the students

Synchronous conferencing in higher education

Synchronous conferencing in education helps in the delivery of content through digital media. Since this is real-time teaching, it also brings the benefits of face-to-face teaching in distance learning. Many higher education institutions offer well-designed quality e-learning opportunities. Some of the advantages of synchronous conferencing in education are:

Implementation of educational technology

The tools for implementing synchronous conferencing depend on the type of educational problem addressed. This is in turn decides the method of synchronous conferencing to be used and the tool to be used in the learning context. The tool selected addresses the problem of improving the learning outcomes which cannot be solved with an asynchronous environment. There are many tools and platforms available for synchronous conferencing. The selection of tools and platforms also depends on the group size which depends on the activity for the course design.

Limitations

Some limitations for synchronous conferencing in learning are: