Both asynchronous and synchronous online courses have advantages and disadvantages.
Asynchronous courses would be better for those with crazy schedules, or those living in different time zones who would find it difficult to be online all at the same time. This would be the course where content is delivered through various medias, including but not limited to presentations, video, audio, or written text. The participant logs on at their convenience to complete assignments during a specific time period. Email and discussion boards are used to interact with the facilitator and other participants. Email is useful for a discussion between the facilitator and an individual participant where the participant might feel uncomfortable with everyone in the course reading the post, or if the post is a question not related to the discussion. One drawback of asynchronous courses is if the participant has a question, it is not always answered right away.
Synchronous courses are better for those who need to have live interaction, immediate feedback, or need the structure of a scheduled time for the course. The delivery method might be Skype, GoToMeeting, or Adobe Connect. The course can take the form of a web conference where there is a presenter who provides information and there is usually a chat available for questions or comments and discussions on the content. This is more like a face-to-face class only everyone is on their own computer or phone while being virtually connected.
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