Learning Management Systems, like Blackboard and Moodle, are used for delivering the course instruction and material. The software is developed with the needs of the instructors and institutions in mind. Typically, after initial software development, during beta testing, colleges and universities act as test sites. WIth input from educators, the software is changed and developed for release.
Online classes operate on the honor system wherein students are expected not to cheat; however, instructors typically can have no verification of this. With the anonymity that online classes afford, students can have others log on for them. In order to remedy this, identity authentication systems have been developed. The systems usually require students to set up a unique signature by signing electronically, which allows the software to identify the unique points in the individual's handwriting that is used to verify identity each time the user logs in.
Science courses typically require a laboratory component which meets on campus, even for online courses. To address this, software has been developed to simulate the lab experience virtually. These virtual labs allow instructors to place items and create assignments that would be in a real lab, allowing students to do things like dissect a frog or view slides under a microscope.
With the advent of online courses, the demand for all class components to be electronic has risen. This applies to textbooks as well. E-books can be downloaded to a computer and are typically cheaper than paper textbooks. Publishers are now offering e-books that are customizable by the instructor, allowing instructors to choose which exercises and interactive elements to include.