With such a range of prices, it's important to know what to look for while shopping for a class, and what to expect when you find one. That template has now evolved into a fairly standard structure for online instruction. In other words, the lecture is basically a reading assignment. An instructor may post materials on a Website for students to read, or, more typically, direct students to specific URLs for reading materials. Using URLs also helps instructors avoid copyright issues.
Some courses attempt to bring the entire class together in a chat room for real-time discussions.
A good writing course should ask you to write. One of the advantages of learning online is the ease with which you can submit your homework to the instructor, and have it evaluated and returned. Website, others deliver them by e-mail. Some courses also ask students to post or share their homework assignments for class critiquing. If you raise a question that would benefit the rest of the class, the instructor may ask your permission to share the question and answer in the public discussion.