[This is my answer to W3Q2: "How important are synchronous events (where course participants and instructor interact in real time) such as a webinar or an Elluminate session in fostering an effective online learning environment?"]
The importance depends on the learners and the material of the course. I have worked with teams where Synchronous communication was a burden. For example those who work on compiling Wikipedia and other Open Source projects. At the same time, I have worked with individuals who need the real time synchronous interaction.
Following Universal Design concepts, every online course should have a provision to have one or more synchronous, recorded, events to cater for those who prefer the real time learning.
What is more important is to ensure the technology works well, that the facilitator has a good control of the technology and the session and that the participants can use it effectively.
Reference: IEEE Research Findings.
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