By its name, e-learning can best be understood as any type of learning delivered electronically.
Defined broadly, this can encompass learning products delivered by computer, intranet, internet,
satellite, or other remote technologies. Brandon Hall, a noted e-learning researcher, defines elearning
as “instruction delivered electronically wholly by a web browser, through the Internet or
an intranet, or through CD-ROM or DVD multimedia platforms.” Increasingly, the common
understanding of e-learning relates exclusively to web-based training -- or learning products
delivered via a web browser over a network. Morgan Keegan’s investment analysis team deems
e-learning as a technology that fully leverages the distributive power of the Internet and
encourages investors to consider the “e” in e-learning to represent “effective”.
E-learning is sometimes classified as synchronous or asynchronous. Both terms refer to "the
extent to which a course is bound by place and/or time," according to The Distance Learner’s
Guide (Prentice Hall: 1998). Synchronous simply means that two or more events occur at the
same time, while Asynchronous means that two or more events occur "not at the same time."
For example, when you attend live training – like a class or workshop--then the event is
synchronous, because the event and the learning occur simultaneously, or at the same time.
Asynchronous learning occurs when you take an online course in which you complete events at
different times, and when communication occurs via time-delayed email or in
