What is Textual Chat

Some of the very first Internet technologies to be used for learning or distance education and training were the World Wide Web and e-mail. The World Wide Web allowed multimedia or hypermedia-based instructional content to be loaded on a Web server and browsed using HTML-based browsers, and Internet-based e-mail systems allowed learners and facilitators to correspond asynchronously—anytime, anyplace. However, one of the most significant contributions of Internet-based technologies toward training and collaboration in the last few years has been the introduction of synchronous collaboration technologies. Synchronous collaboration technologies truly create a new medium that brings facilitators and participants together in a dynamic and live environment through which highly interactive communication can occur—closing down the barriers for communication and learning.