Many universities have their own proprietary asynchronous online systems or make use of one of several systems available for subscription. The most common system is Blackboard. The majority of asynchronous online learning software systems make use of PHP programming, which means that the online learning environment operates like an Internet forum, with individual threads for lessons, materials and discussion questions. The teacher acts as the forum administrator and has access to all the threads and posts. Students are forum users and may only see what the teacher has allowed them to see.
Teaching and learning in an asynchronous environment consists mainly of material to be read and responded to, either directly to the teacher/administrator or to fellow students. Assignments are submitted either by posting them in a thread directly or by attaching them to a post. The teacher can set a time limit on a thread so that students must respond by an assignment's due date. Within threads, the teacher and students may post links, images, videos and presentations. The teacher and students can communicate with each other via posts or via email. Sometimes, a private message option that sends a message directly to another user but keeps it within the class delivery system is also available for communication.
Depending on the system, teachers have various ways to customize the classroom environment with colors, fonts and graphics. Some university systems have a set appearance for their online learning environments while others allow changes to be made. For teachers, training is usually provided in using the online learning system, and students are generally provided with a tutorial early in the process.
The most common open source software for asynchronous learning delivery is Moodle. Moodle is a PHP-based classroom environment that provides most of the same features of the proprietary systems. However, because Moodle is open source, teachers and schools that use Moodle do not have to pay to use the system.
Moodle can also be used by small groups and individuals who want to provide an asynchronous learning environment that is not attached to a specific institution. This is convenient for employee training, community groups and others who want to provide continuing education. Moodle.org, the home of Moodle, provides tutorials in using Moodle for both teachers and learners. Teachers need to download the Moodle software to design a course, but students can log into a course they are enrolled in through the Moodle homepage. All users do have to create a Moodle account through the Moodle homepage.