One of the authors of this paper, for example, has heard traditional students lamenting the fact that some professors will not accept assignments as e-mail attachments. Even a casual glance in the computer labs will evidence that Crichton traditional students utilize electronic communication to communicate with friends and family. The demand is upon us. We are certain that there are colleges that have online courses deserving this reputation. In fact, we are certain there are colleges who have traditional courses that act as diploma mills.
Online courses are no exception.
Second, online courses promote interaction with professors and collaboration with other students. Third, online courses lend themselves to the use of writing as a tool for learning. The web environment is perfectly suited for forcing students to play an active role in their own learning. The large amount of material that is present on the web means that professors can no longer wrap viable knowledge in a box and guarantee a hot, fresh delivery in 30 minutes. Instead, because the amount of material on the web is overwhelming, students must ultimately make decisions about the direction of their own intellectual lives.