In Noam's future the functions of the university are unbundled and some are appropriated by other institutions. Classes are not created equally. Some are designed to transmit information and skills while others are designed to develop the ability to analyze and evaluate. Professors, i.e., the university's primary resources, however, are not allocated based on the course content. This type of allocation is not particularly cost effective for the university.
Some universities do use teaching assistants for some lower level courses.
The virtual classroom concept offers an improved option for the university. The professor can move virtually closer to the students in courses designed to transmit information and skills without physically being there for all the courses. The best lectures can be recorded and combined with other multimedia assets and provided to the students via the internet or an intranet. By reusing the best lectures, the professor can concentrate on the development of new course material or on other courses. In courses like this, the professor may become almost entirely virtual.