Synchronous or Asynchronous

I think that the best online courses offer both synchronous and asynchronous involvement. I do not think that it is appropriate to have a synchronous course that involves readings and writings. These things take time and need to be completed outside of synchronous communication. I also do not think that it is beneficial to have an online course that is completely asynchronous. I think that interaction of some sort is necessary for students and teachers. If the teachers never interact with the students live in some way it is hard to get an understanding of what students know and the progress they have made. Just as differentiation and variety of  strategies are important in a face to face classroom, I believe the same is true for online courses.