This communication presents the evolution of a long and intense trajectory that began in in the year 2009, and that is still in process of development. The main  purpose of this research is to deepen in the development of online formative models which integrate both, asynchronous virtual classrooms and synchronous virtual classrooms in Higher Education Spaces as well as in other areas  of lifelong education.

One of the main apparent challenges of educational institutions in the present XXI century is to transform the traditional and conventional training processes to  other processes more suitable to face the changes of the our present contexts. E-learning is  has become a training and an educational global trend but it is still discussed which model  is the best. Therefore, the real challenge for us is not to adapt the traditional system to an emerging context, but to reflect and erect teaching and learning models able to guide these new process. As Ferrandez considers (1996, p.15), the epistemological, technologic and practical utility of the training and educational models is that:

“ The models are useful as organizers  of the theoretical and research activity, as well as de teaching practice. These are platforms for reflect and research to generate new proposals in order to structure the base and the framework of new models. They propel the genetic spiral of the scientific structure of Didactics and, therefore, its normative and practical context.” Ferrandez (1996, p.15).

In the specialized literature we find three key-variables   of every educational and training model: theoretical framework, didactical strategies (share and evaluate) and the different roles and functions of their actors. Summing these variables up, two dimensions have to be considered: Educational and Technological:

• The Educational dimension is related to the theoretical perspective , strategies, roles and functions to be considered to design, develop and evaluate the teaching and learning process.

• The technological dimension is related to the selection and development of virtual classrooms, but, of course, bearing in mind the aspects considered in the educational dimension.

• In this point, we would like to clarify what we do understand as synchronous or asynchronous virtual classrooms:

• Asynchronous virtual classrooms are communication online spaces between teachers and students. They area technologically related to those Learning Management Systems known as virtual platforms.  As Arias and Bonilla points out, in this spaces is not necessary students and teachers to be connected at the same time, and the educational content is available for the students at any time. This platforms use forums, wikis, blogs, tasks revisions, workshops, etc.

• Synchronous virtual classrooms are spaces supplied with new, useful and  versatile resources, as they combine tools as videoconference and share other elements as desktop, blackboard, documents and presentations that are viewed at the same time by all the participants. Therefore teachers and students can collaborate face to face, getting over the barriers that provoke the lack of visual and hearing barriers, bus through different geographical spaces.

This is the framework of our research, which is immersing in two main periods.  During the first period, that is already concluded, we have drawn the map of the didactical and pedagogical, methodological and technological shape   of synchronous virtual classrooms in higher education. Different educational methods have been developed to be implanted in synchronous online learning and they have been implemented and tested in several University of Extremadura e-learning subjects and courses, choosing and testing different synchronous technologies. After analyzing the results of this first period, the second period of our research is beginning ant its main objective is to develop an and integrated e-learning model  that combines synchronous and asynchronous  virtual classrooms that persecute educational innovation  and excellence in Higher Education and other lifelong learning context.

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