Electronic mail, for example, is technically the simplest, but perhaps most socially complex Internet technology to master. The structured approach to teaching with a web-based system will help people who are new to teaching, but might feel restrictive to experienced educators. A side effect of providing extensive on-line material is that fewer students will turn up to lectures. Those used to orating at students may find it hard to adjust to change. There is also the temptation to buy prepared courseware and not encourage local development.
Online development provides the opportunity to involve outside professionals in course development.
However, the infrastructure to do this will be needed. Impediments can be as trivial as the delay in allocating staff user-ids to external course designers who are honorary staff members, but not registered on the computerised payroll. Universities will need to clarify intellectual property rights to courseware developed. Now universities assume they own the courses which staff prepare. This is reasonable when the same staff deliver the courses in person.