One could think well, they are not real colleges and universities, but upon reading the sample list at the end of the article, one might start to ponder the advantages of distant learning. The colleges and universities that ignore this new way of learning could see a drop in their future student enrollment. Teaching faculties tend to have local reputations but a lower research profiles. The new economics of education will change the balance of importance between research and teaching, just as television changed the balance of professional sports. Education and the Internet are on parallel paths.
Transformation is under way in education.
While these changes are inevitable, they are more likely to be evolutionary than revolutionary until they reach critical mass. Yet these costs are dwarfed by the costs of the year-to year maintenance of hardware and software and updating course material. Change is inevitable and changes to the methodologies on how we learn will have an impact on education. The Internet is a resource that was not even imagined when we were in grade school yet our children adjust very well to the new technology. It is a very exciting time to be in the field of education.