Learning from a distance fosters encouragement of critical thinking and the cultivation of improved writing skills. These activities complement each other perfectly. There will always be a need for classroom learning, but conservative estimates indicate that over 30 million people have access to the Internet. This is an example of technology that has a home both in and out of the classroom. Institutions must respond to information-age students that demand better instruction both on and off campus.
Writing is one of the most important skills that a student can develop.
Writing can allow a student to develop his or her ideas to their fullest potential and facilitate the communication of those ideas to others. Writing skills developed in the beginning of a student's college career can enable that student to be successful for the rest of her academic career and help later in a professional career. Writing intensive courses in which students become involved with content encourages students to engage in critical thinking. Critical thinking skills are also being introduced into the classroom through an inquiry-based teaching approach. Students need to be taught skills to interpret and manipulate facts or theories and be able to apply them in contexts other than the one in which they were introduced.