This is important so that the online learner has the explanation and experience of how the tools and other parts of the course works. This will help eliminate possible frustration from not understanding how to work with the online program.
This is important because some students perform better through different ways. For example, I would have some assignments that required oral or typed answers, some required drawings, and some required the students to take a picture of an item that represented the lesson we were learning. Depending on the assignment, the students could pick the way they wanted to use for their answers.