The use of computer technology, i.e. Internet capabilities to promote distance learning is a rapidly growing practice in the education industry, especially in the role of continuing education. While it is widely agreed that the move to the internet to provide an online, virtual classroom to further the practice of distance learning is an area that the field of education is destined to go, different types of institutions differ in thought as to what this practice will mean with respect to their futures. This differing of opinion has sparked debate between large, public colleges, and smaller schools like community colleges and private universities. Some smaller universities see this as a threat to their target student body and, therefore, monetary income.
Larger universities say that small and private schools have nothing to worry about.
In response to the rising competition from large public universities, small schools are trying to implement several practices that will attempt to draw and keep their target student body. One of these ideas is the uniting of several small community colleges to form one institution of interconnecting and transferring distance learning courses. Both large and small schools, however agree that the use of distance learning is not perfect, and students should not be fooled into a sense of comfort when considering them. This project was produced for Psy 380, Social Psychology of Cyberspace , Spring 2000, at Miami University . All graphics in these pages are used with permission or under fair use guidelines, are in the public domain, or were created by the authors.