About E-Learning: What is “synchronous” e-learning?

Synchronous e-learning occurs when the students and mentors study course content at an assigned pace. For example, the course mentor may activate the next learning module at 7:00 pm on Tuesday night. All students are expected to participate in the learning process during designated periods. The advantage to synchronous learning is that the students know that the course mentor and other students will be available within the virtual classroom forum for discussion purposes. The disadvantage is that synchronous learning limits the personal flexibility that generally makes e-learning appealing to students. Synchronous learning is not nearly as popular as asynchronous learning.