However, the arguments in favor of DL are growing rapidly, despite opposition. With school drop-out rates and tuition costs skyrocketing, alternatives methods of education must be explored. Rural areas in particular suffer from a lack of academic assets. The vast domain of resources which the Internet offers, in conjunction with the guidance of a well-planned distance education program, could be the remedy. The interactive environment has been shown to raise student retention more than three-fold over traditional class methods.
Many students feel less pressure when voicing their thoughts in a chat-based environment.
Involvement in the New School for Social Research's on-line program is so fervent that DL students complete in eight weeks a course that takes 12 weeks on the regular campus. According to John Sneed, Director of Portland Community College's Distance Learning Program, on-line learners perform at least as well as regular classroom students, often exceeding them. The necessary attributes of self-motivation and independent thinking are likely factors to their success. There is also the issue of the learning platform itself teaching skills. Distance education utilizes some of the most current computer technology available and requires both students and teachers to be fluent in its use.