Arctic Yearbook 2014 | Page 140

140   Arctic Yearbook 2014   Online education has its roots in the business world, where companies were quick to utilize computers and multimedia; as the Internet began to come into its own, businesses found it an ideal vessel for employee training programs. Online education programs are unique creatures, customized to content and stylized by instructors, but are commonly categorized into two types: asynchronous and synchronous. Most online courses are asynchronous. Asynchronous learning is the method in which the teaching occurs at one time and the learning occurs at another. Material is posted to web pages, delivered via email, or packaged in software, and can consist of reading assignments, video recordings, audio clips, or other lesson tools. Students then individually access and navigate this material, without necessarily needing to coordinate with other students in the course. Synchronous learning is the method in which teaching and learning happen at a synchronized time. Faculty and students share a common schedule and meet together via audio or video conferencing, web-based lectures, virtual classrooms, live chats, and the like. This method is beco