The configuration of an oDl system can vary largely. It depends on different factors:

	Characteristics of the learners and the social- cultural context (age, study profiles, current position, psychological barriers and constrains, learning stiles, social and cultural issues, et.);
	learning aims and objectives which have to be met;
	typology of contents to be transmitted;
	resources available (human, time and financial), et.

In designing an ODL scheme all these elements has to be taken in great account in order to set up the most effective and coherent scheme.

In particular a training system in ODL should be designed with the aim of:

	create and sustain learners’ motivation designing didactic materials structured in a way which could permit an easy usage, giving a "step by step approach" to the difficulties selecting the most appropriate technological support for content transmission and the communication;
	design a personalised support system which accompany the learner during the whole training path. This is a key characteristic of the ODL considering the absence (total or limited in some phases of the course) of a teacher able to support the students from a psychological point of view;
	organise a continuos assessment of the results, in order to collect a constant feedback from participants in respect of the learning process and the different components of the system