There are two categories of distance education delivery systems, synchronous and asynchronous. Synchronous instruction requires the simultaneous participation of all students and instructors. Asynchronous instruction does not require the simultaneous participation of all students and instructors. Students do not need to be gathered together in the same location at the same time. Rather, students may choose their own instructional time frame and gather learning materials according to their schedules.
Asynchronous instruction is more flexible than synchronous instruction.
Moreover, in the case of telecommunications such as email, asynchronous instruction allows and even may encourage community development. A disadvantage to consider with email-based interaction is the considerable written exchange, which could really pile up. Some Distance Education Modes - Please see our glossary for definition of terms. You must look at each technology and think about how it might fit your teaching goals. If there are several courses, you must investigate how the technology might fit each course.