Concept
Synchronous conferencing is the formal term used in computing, in particular in computer-mediated communication, collaboration and learning, to describe technologies informally known as online chat. It is sometimes extended to include audio/video conferencing or instant messaging systems that provide a text-based multi-user chat function. The word synchronous is used to qualify the conferencing as real-time, as distinct from a system such as e-mail, where messages are left and answered later. Synchronous conferencing protocols include: IRC (Internet Relay Chat) PSYC (Protocol for Synchronous Conferencing) SILC (Secure Internet Live Conferencing protocol) XMPP (Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol) SIMPLE (instant messaging protocol) (Session Initiation Protocol for Instant Messaging and Presence Leveraging Extensions) According to the type of media used, synchronous conferencing can be divided into audio conferencing: only audio is used video conferencing: Both audio (voice) and video and picture are used. According to the number of access point used, synchronous conferencing can be divided into point-to-point: Only two computers are connected end to end. multi-point: Two or more than two computers are connected together. 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 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 the methods give a permanent record of the conference.
