Current discussion software provides a web location for instructor and students to carry on class discussion. E-mail messaging is also useful for private messaging. E-mail listserver makes small group projects possible. Course designs that allow for synchronous communication may use teleconferencing or chat rooms. On-line community .
Community building is a vital element because it contributes to the retention of students.
It also helps ensure the integrity of on-line student work and the credibility of the degrees and credits the institution awards. This can be enhanced with the use of residency periods during in which students and faculty are physically together before and after the term. Appropriate technology . The institution must have a reliable server that can be accessed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All involved must be outfitted with hardware and software tools that make it possible for them to meet the objectives assigned.