The idea of burning a course into a cd holds no appeal and raises all those sticky issues concerning course ownership. Frankly I have my doubts. It's also very labour intensive, although I look forward to the chance to design another. Distance education requires much more of students in terms of self-discipline and independent learning and so it can help develop those skills. There are also drawbacks, of course.
Distance education is much more static and lacks the flexibility of traditional classrooms.
One can't change course midstream if something isn't working since it has all been designed beforehand. It also seems much more difficult to build a scholarly community in a distance education setting. Click this link and you hear the first surah of the Qur'an recited in Arabic. Click this link and go on a virtual tour of the Dome of the Rock. Many students found this aspect of the course irritating and some panicked, wanting to know what off-site content they were responsible for on the exam.