It is instructive to note that private companies are eager to strike alliances with leading universities, a recognition by the market that established institutions have the best expertise and reputation. And even many of the biggest boosters of online education don't believe the Internet will replace the classroom. Stanford, for example, is investing heavily in Web-based learning and estimates that 50 percent of its undergraduate courses have some online elements, but the university doesn't offer any entirely virtual courses or degree programs. Instead, it is seeking to experiment in several directions. It recently announced a collaboration with Yale, Princeton and Oxford to develop online courses for alumni.
Commercialization is a controversial topic.
The biggest challenge for anyone in online education is to determine the most appropriate uses for technology. The school, one of the world's largest distance learning institutions, has been incorporating online and CD-Rom material in its curriculum and offers a master's degree in distance learning online. But technology is not a panacea. Universities have to be careful not to overload students by simply adding online elements to the existing curriculum, Ms. Laurillard said. Ms. Laurillard said.