asynchrony
Out of sync
Asynchrony is the state of not occurring at the same time or rate.
In technology, asynchronous processes don't require immediate response—email is asynchronous while phone calls are synchronous.
In medicine, asynchrony describes mismatched timing between systems: The ventilator detected patient-ventilator asynchrony.
The word contrasts with synchrony, where things happen in coordination.
Delay in system response
- lagPeriod of falling behind
- delayEnforced waiting period
- offsetCompensate by opposing force
- desynchronizationLoss of coordinated timing
skew · drift · jitter · buffering · queueing · scheduling · polling · callback
Improper positioning relative to reference
- discrepancyDifference between expected and actual
- inconsistencyLack of steady pattern
- out-of-syncNot coordinated together
- desyncLoss of timing alignment
drift · deadlock · conflict · gap · disconnection · incongruity · imbalance · deviation
Daily biological cycle
- rhythmPatterned stress and silence
- heartbeatRhythmic cardiac contraction
- neuralOf nerve tissue
- brainwaveSudden clever idea
dysrhythmia · pacemaker · entrainment · oscillation · periodicity · melatonin · chronobiology · diurnal
Digital written communication
- voicemailRecorded caller messages
- textingSending typed mobile messages
- messagingSending written digital communications
- forumGathering place for discourse
correspondence · turn-taking · back-and-forth · collaboration · handoff · notification · inbox · thread
Controlled by the learner
- recordedCaptured for posterity
- on-demandAvailable upon request
- courseworkStudent academic tasks
- moduleIndependent functional component
pre-recorded · MOOC · tutorial · assignment · submission · feedback · hybrid
latency
Delay in system response
desynchronization · skew · drift · jitter · buffering · queueing · scheduling · polling · callback · non-blocking
misalignment
Improper positioning relative to reference
- discrepancyDifference between expected and actual
- inconsistencyLack of steady pattern
- out-of-syncNot coordinated together
desync · drift · deadlock · conflict · gap · disconnection · incongruity · imbalance · deviation · anomaly
circadian
Daily biological cycle
brainwave · dysrhythmia · pacemaker · entrainment · oscillation · periodicity · melatonin · chronobiology · diurnal · nocturnal
Digital written communication
- voicemailRecorded caller messages
- textingSending typed mobile messages
- messagingSending written digital communications
forum · correspondence · turn-taking · back-and-forth · collaboration · handoff · notification · inbox · thread · time-zone
self-paced
Controlled by the learner
- recordedCaptured for posterity
- on-demandAvailable upon request
- courseworkStudent academic tasks
module · pre-recorded · MOOC · tutorial · assignment · submission · feedback · hybrid
asynchronysynchrony
Temporal coordination
simultaneity · synchronicity · concurrence · synchronization · coincidence
asynchronysynchrony
Temporal coordination
entrainment · phase-locking · alignment · coordination · coherence
- asynchronous learningEducation without live sessions