The software and hardware will be commercial with a very limited degree of customization. Interaction will be predominantly asynchronous. While this represents more mediated settings than Type I, the tools are being used as substitutes for other forms of technology lying below the threshold rather than as a fully developed form in their own right. Quite a few university courses are Type II, with course outlines, notes, and reading lists posted on the web. It is used to extend the reach of existing educational forms.
Technology is an essential part of education.
Systems are custom designed, and lead to new ways to organize teaching and learning. Interaction between instructors and students, and between groups of students, can occur instantly. The potential of technology is being exploited to develop effective and sophisticated two way connective communication, potentially allowing extension of education to new social groups. Learners are not merely recipients of information transmitted to them by innovative means, but are involved in the formation of that information. Several large corporations are developing Type III systems for workforce training and upgrading on their intranet systems.