There are basically two types of e-learning: synchronous training and asynchronous training. Synchronous, which literally means "at the same time," involves interacting with an instructor via the Web in real time. Asynchronous, which means "not at the same time," allows the student to complete the WBT on his own time and schedule, without live interaction with the instructor.

Synchronous education is currently a less common form of training. It involves geographically dispersed students accessing the same Web site at the same time as an instructor. Typically this type of training involves the instructor "broadcasting" audio out to the students through either a teleconference phone call, or through web-based audio. The instructor typically "drives" a slideshow presentation, which the students watch while connected to a conference web site. Students can ask questions or provide comments through the phone line, or through a chat window. Synchronous training is most popular in academic type programs, such as continuing education programs or college distance learning programs.

Asynchronous e-learning is more common because it creates a just-in-time, on-demand student learning experience. Unlike synchronous training, students do not need to schedule their time around the predetermined plan of the instructor. There is complete flexibility with asynchronous training, which comes in two forms, facilitated and self-paced.

Facilitated asynchronous training involves an instructor and group of students, but the interaction is not in real time. The instructor will post assignments on a Web page, which typically includes online reading or research conducted on various Web sites. Students communicate with each other through threaded discussions (also known as online bulletin boards), and submit their homework to the instructor via e-mail. An advantage of this type of training is that students have a lot of peer interaction, and can receive personalized attention and guidance from the human facilitator. The disadvantage of this form of WBT is that it tends to involve only one type of media, text. Additionally, even though the training isn't completed live, students still have scheduling concerns. Because a human instructor is posting assignments and grading homework, some kind of schedule needs to be kept, typically with each assignment lasting for one week.

Facilitated asynchronous training is common in the academic community, but the most common form of WBT used in corporations is self-paced instruction. This form of delivery consists of standalone instructional material that can be accessed and completed via the Web, without additional interaction among students. Materials could include guided tutorials, discovery learning simulations, and assessment exercises. Simple WBT programs are text-heavy and look like the original disk-based CBT. More technologically advanced WBT looks and feels as if the student were interacting with a multimedia CD-ROM.