And now, distance education is expected to transform how and when we learn. But many of us want more hands-on experiences, not fewer. The immediate feedback of speaking up spontaneously in class is an important element of education. This is an important issue that must be addressed if long-distance learning is to work. The challenge is in finding online programs that offer intriguing content without too much frustration.
Many online courses consist of little more than eye-straining lines of text.
Others require loads of attachments or cumbersome plug-ins. In coming years, the technical aspects of the online experience should improve dramatically. But they also must improve from a teaching standpoint. For now, though, much of e-learning seems like glorified correspondence courses. Even some proponents of e-learning view it as no more than a worthwhile supplement to onsite instruction, not as a wholesale substitute.