Such classes are easily accessible and time-effective for, say, a busy sister juggling family and career. Analysts predict that by 2002 some 2.2 million folks will enroll in on-line programs. Before becoming a cyber student, the Washington, D.C., resident registered for conventional business courses, but with a job that required frequent travel, she found it difficult to keep up. Now Beal clicks into her classes on her own time five days a week, even if it's from a hotel room in Japan. E-mail, bulletin boards and chat rooms are the core tools for many universities.
Students are able to see, hear and communicate with their instructors and colleagues.
Francis counters, saying that the Capella model is rich in communication. There is some truth in his words. Institutions that once dismissed virtual instruction, such as Stanford and Duke universities, now embrace it. Curtsey Taiia Smart Young who is the new-media editor.