Online learning

Although I think the online environment will continue to grow as an alternative to physical classroom learning, I do not think it will completely replace the traditional classroom environment. Mainly, I think this is due to the simple fact that people are different. Some students achieve a higher level of comprehension by hearing a lecture, others by reading. Some students need a structured environment, while for some (like me), the convenience of attending classes online as their daily schedule allows, whether at 6 am or 10 pm is invaluable. Although I have not attended on-campus classes in a number of years, one drawback of online learning has been that they are much more writing-intensive than I recall on-campus classes to be. But, writing is really the only way your instructor knows that you grasp the material being covered.

Hopefully, as the online educational environment grows, the variety of courses available will expand. Some of the physical sciences and such will probably never be available online, as these require hands-on lab work. I do think that if demand continues to rise, more institutions of higher learning will be forced to offer online classes in order to keep enrollment up. Students will follow opportunities that take them where they wish to go. The online learning environment is not for everyone, however. Many students will stick to what they know in the traditional learning environment.