Synchronous and Asynchronous

Distance education is becoming an increasingly important part of today's dynamic and globalized business and academic environments. This paper gives a brief introduction to distance education and asynchronous and synchronous technologies, and reviews and compares two synchronous technologies (HorizonLive and Centra 7) with two asynchronous technologies (Blackboard and WebCT).

Synchronous and asynchronous technologies are both part of the recent explosion of computer mediated learning. As Kirwin notes, computers have created a "vision of classrooms transformed into global learning communities," where students or business cohorts from around the world can use technology to revolutionize the learning experience.

Technologies in computer-mediated distance learning fall into two main categories, synchronous and asynchronous. Synchronous communication is done in "real time," and includes chat applications like MSN Messenger, and streaming audio and video. Asynchronous communication does not occur in "real time," and can include e-mail, message boards, traditional correspondence courses, and databases....
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