Offer students a forum to discuss non-course related topics. Where course readings are very long, it's better to send a hard copy. It is difficult to read through long, complex articles on the computer screen. On the other hand, it is nice to be able to access the course information and readings while traveling, without having to carry extraneous support materials. The students and the instructor need to look at the education process in a new and unfamiliar way.
New students are particularly uncomfortable with self-directed learning.
It can be hard for the instructor to 'give up control' and allow learners to proceed at their own pace, in their own way. The programs take workers from third-grade reading and writing levels to college levels, and encompass basic math skills up to calculus, trigonometry and algebra. In Tennessee there seems to be a need for distance learning to be managed by the local learning institutions.