A Qualitative Study of College Students' Asynchronous Interaction Behavior Patterns in a Synchronous Online Classroom

Simultaneous live classes are a common form of delivery in higher online education, and the study of students' asynchronous interaction behavior patterns of this type of classroom have implications for optimizing subsequent online teaching. This study conducted in-depth interviews with selected students that are studying in Macao's higher education institutions, and coded and analyzed the interview data using the grounded theory in qualitative research. The aim is to understand the characteristics of asynchronous interaction behaviors in college students' synchronous online classes and discussed the impact on asynchronous interaction patterns of three interaction types ("learner-instructor interaction", "learnerlearner interaction", and "learner-content interaction"). This study found that asynchronous interaction promotes the development of critical thinking, metacognitive learning strategies, and deep-thinking skills, and that the synergy of these three components contributes to the effectiveness of students' online learning.