Today’s is number two in a series by Steve Mackay and Edwina Ross (Engineering Institute of Technology) 

“Inflexible is better: web-conferencing (synchronous) on-line learning creates a ‘classroom’ in which students and the teacher gather in real-time. As a model of on-line learning it is a less flexible, but the benefits outweigh this limitation. It ensures students remain engaged in the learning process, it facilitates interaction and questions, it connects remote learners with each other, and it reduces the notorious rates of attrition evident in asynchronous online courses.”