It’s possible to study teaching and have no real-time connections with lecturers or peers. But it can be ‘very lonely’

Australia is in the grip of a teacher shortage. The federal government has predicted in 2025, demand for high school teachers will outstrip graduates by about 4,100 teachers.

We also hear constant reports of teachers quitting or planning to quit. So it is more important than ever to encourage people into the teaching profession.

Universities have been making it easier for people to study to become teachers. For some, this includes “asynchronous” online learning. This means students study from different places and at different times. It also means there is no real-time connection between lecturers and students, or between students and their peers.

This kind of learning means people can study at their own pace without having to relocate or travel. This can make it more affordable and flexible for students. These types of courses are also relatively inexpensive for universities to deliver.

But our new research shows the lack of real-time connection can create challenges for students. It also raises questions about how we are preparing new teachers for the realities of the classroom.

A new style of teaching and learning

As of 2023, all Australian universities offered some form of online learning in their “initial teacher education” degrees – the degrees people need to do to qualify as teachers.

Many universities may advertise “online” courses but it is not clear what, if any, real-time connection is involved.

There is no clear data on how widespread asynchronous online learning is in Australia, but anecdotal reports suggest it is becoming more common.

In 2023 and 2024, we surveyed and interviewed more than 400 “pre-service teachers” – these are people studying primary and secondary education degrees and who have not yet qualified as a teacher.

All were studying units or whole courses which were delivered asynchronously at one Australian university. The only in-person or face-to-face components were their placement experiences in schools.

The students had access to pre-recorded lectures, readings, and a range of activities to complete. The main form of communication was via online discussion board conversations.

Little connection with others

Some students in our study said they had a positive experience with asynchronous learning. They said some course facilitators made efforts to connect with them and demonstrate care and empathy.

However, more than 50% of our respondents said they felt only “a little” or “somewhat” connected to the university and course facilitators and “very little” connection to their peers. They described their learning as lonely. As one respondent said:

It’s a very lonely experience when you’re unable to communicate directly or see your peers. It’s very isolating.

While students might be encouraged to comment on the discussion board, this did not always help them feel connected.

Students are required to post/respond to other student’s posts in an online forum. [There is a] major disconnect between commenting on someone’s post and actual communication.

Hard to engage with study

For others, this lack of connection had an impact on their academic engagement. As one student said:

I felt disengaged the whole course. The […] nature of the delivery meant that, for me, it was pushed aside and left to last minute and only when the deadlines for assignments approached [did I engage].

Other respondents said the lack of social connection made them feel “less committed” to their studies.

Or as another student told us:

We had drop-in meetings, emails and online forums. I don’t feel these have been effective and I only contribute because I want to pass the unit.

Students also revealed they did not fully understand how little contact with others they would have when they enrolled.

Why is this a problem?

As this type of degree is very new, we don’t yet have a sense of what this disconnection has on the development of quality teachers.

But our survey does raise questions about the capacity of these courses to help students develop the key skills they will need in the classroom. These include:

• verbal communication skills tailored to individual students, whole classrooms, colleagues, and parents

• the capacity to build constructive in-person relationships with students, parents, and colleagues

• the ability to work constructively and calmly in diverse and challenging environments – where “deadlines” or “tasks” are happening in real time.

How can this type of delivery be improved?

Our research also highlighted some ways fully asynchronous online courses can improve and promote connection between students and teachers.

Students who were more positive about their courses told us:

• facilitators responded quickly to emails and questions and were open and friendly

• facilitators provided videos of themselves summarising content giving a sense of human connection

• facilitators were always active on discussion boards.

It is vitally important to get more teachers graduating and into classrooms. But we also need to make sure teacher education is adequately preparing new teachers for a demanding and crucial job that is grounded in human relationships.