In this format, the user interface consists of two separate windows or frames on the screen. Under each heading is an expandable outline listing the individual sessions for that week. Clicking on any one of them produces the relevant text in the second window or frame. Typically, they serve as a compendium for a variety of issues that are part of a semester's work. In a forum, participants post comments about the course, which are then archived on the Web site.
Students can post a reply or create a new message.
Discussion forums function in an asynchronous fashion. Chat, on the other hand, is synchronous. In the chat room, class members can engage in an ongoing discussion that is typically moderated by the professor. 6 Testing Online quizzes allow for assessing student progress as well as giving feedback to class members. Especially valued are quizzes that are easy to create and inexpensive, that require no HTML or coding, that allow for a variety of questions and formats, that can be timed and offered only at certain times and are password protected.