He concludes that in virtual and international teams, the main questions are about people and organizations, and not about technology. He observed patterned ways of thinking and feeling among the different student groups. The Hong Kong student attitude was collectivist and honest, whereas the Dutch student attitude could be described as practical, straightforward and efficient. The teacher has to give some control to the student. After all, it is questionable whether the power of a competent teacher can be condensed digitally.
Virtual communication is much more informal and students work more independently.
Unfortunately, there are very few training courses for online teachers. Currently, the OUBS has 650 part-time tutors and associate lecturers, spread over Europe. These teachers have advanced managerial and educational experience. The OUBS has completed a large scale investigation among their online teaching staff. The OUBS acknowledges that there are very few online teachers with the empathic skills described above.