International Data Corp. Schools such as Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., Duke University in Durham, N.C., California State University-Dominguez Hills in Carson, Calif., Seton Hall University in Orange, N.J., and the University of Phoenix are among a growing number of institutions that offer accredited degree programs online. And many more colleges simply offer lists of classes, both accredited and nonaccredited, that students can participate in over the Web. Despite the Internet's reputation as a cheaper alternative for just about everything, it isn't always less expensive to go to school online. But online students don't have to pay for parking and assorted other fees paid by students on campus. Virtual Lessons Rather than sitting in a classroom listening to a professor lecture, online students can log onto their computers any time of the day or night, download lectures and study them as they would pages of a textbook.
Students complete class assignments posted on special Web sites.
They access virtual research material, participate in classroom discussions and complete group projects using chat rooms, and use special software to take tests. But often, students never actually meet professors or classmates. The level of interaction of any kind with instructors varies, and many programs offer little in the way of such student services as job placement, internships or counseling. Some schools provide students with a virtual library. Others provide chat rooms and message boards where students can socialize outside class.