The topics to be covered may be listed in the course outline, but including descriptions makes the document lengthy and thus is rarely done. This makes the course devoid of the requisite flexibility. The costs of duplicating handouts, syllabi, and assignments have proven to be a burden. Sometimes logistical factors prevent a student from receiving an assignment in time. When course materials are placed on the Web, students can select a topic in the course outline and look at the description of a topic, and required reading assignments.
Students can select the exam schedule and look at the topics included for that exam.
Alternatively, all the handouts and the hypermedia software can be provided to the students on disk and they can browse the course materials off-line at their convenience. Traditional course materials were rendered unusable when the software package in which they were created became obsolete. For example, a handout prepared using an old business graphics software cannot be used anymore because it is no longer available in the office or classroom. Instructors also face problems when the software package that they use at home is not available in the office. Web course materials are software and hardware independent.