By having an entire class of 15 plus the professor dissecting a reading or a project that someone has done you get a much broader range of ideas and opinions to work with than if you were to just listen to a single professor lecture for a class. The messages can come pretty quickly, especially if there is a large group and the discussion is centered around a hot topic. But after a couple of classes most people catch on and manage without much difficulty at all. For me the experience of distance learning has been a very good one. I like the style of it, the freedom it brings and the availability that is built in.
Distance learning is still in the design phases, but it is getting better and better all the time.
I for one am looking forward to more opportunities in the future. He will graduate from Pepperdine University in May with a Masters of Educational Technology.