Selecting a red arrow on the page will return you to the top. You can take high-quality UW courses and programs at times and places that fit your lifestyle, without having to travel to a scheduled class. This distance learning format enables students to work independently and still have personal contact with their instructors and classmates. In fact, e-mail and online discussion forums can facilitate discussions that are deeper and more thorough than typical classroom discussions, where interactions often are limited by time and space. An instructor will acknowledge your e-mail within two days, and will strive to have an answer within that time, as well.
Many courses use online discussions as part of the course.
In an online discussion you can post messages about the course, add your biography, ask questions of the instructor, and read or respond to questions from other students. Some courses use the discussion forum for posting assignments and receiving feedback on material posted from other students in the course. Instead of posting messages for others to read at their convenience, as you do with a discussion forum, in a chat you have an online real-time conversation with one or more people taking the same course. The introduction to your course will tell you whether it uses a chat component. If you miss a scheduled chat, a transcript will be posted so you can read what you missed.