The student registers for the course and is sent a package of materials in the mail. In the traditional correspondence course, the student reads material and completes quizzes and tests, which are forwarded back to the training company. The new twist for the online market is that the instructor is available by email to answer student questions. Tests and quizzes may also be taken online, with immediate feedback. The student works at his or her own pace, completing lessons to the level of mastery.
Police officers can work on lessons while on duty or at home.
There is no interaction with other students because the course is completed by an individual at his or her own pace. Most courses have a time limit on completion, normally six months to a year, but there is still a danger that students who register will procrastinate and not finish them. This is a new twist on an older technology-based teaching platform. Lessons are completed on the computer, which grades student performance, regulates the order and speed of presentation of information, and otherwise controls the learning process. The difference between CBT Delivered Online and traditional CBT is that the lessons are delivered over the web rather than on a CD-ROM or laser disk.