This is my second online course and there are advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are for those of us with extremely busy schedules, who work and are taking other courses as well. You have the convenience of working on assignments when your schedule permits and only you know when you do your best work, so you can plan to work during those times. You also have the advantage of anonimity to a degree.
Some students are hesitant in a classroom situation to speak freely or to even speak at all.
The beauty of this class is you have time to collect your thoughts and organize them to give helpful insight into other student's work. Now for the disadvantages, it is very easy to get behind in online courses. As much as we hate to admit it, unless we are really disciplined, most of us have sweated out deadlines online. Time just somehow slips away. The other disadvantage I encountered is some confusion on forums and the drop boxes could be a little better organized, but that's just my anal-compulsive self taking there.