COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY EDUCATION. Since the Internet
was pioneered at universities to facilitate information sharing,
it’s not surprising that an increasing number of them are
creating Web-based universities. By 2002, 85 percent of two-year
colleges (in 1999 there were 847 two-year colleges in the
United States) are expected to be offering distance learning
courses, up from 58 percent in 1998. It is projected that over
80 percent of the four-year colleges (in 1999 there were 1,472
four-year colleges and universities in the United States) will be
offering distance learning courses in 2002, up from 62 percent
in 1998. Many of these will be Web-based. To put this into perspective,
there are 15 million full- and part-time college students
in the United States, of which an estimated 90 percent
are online, representing by far the most active single group on
the Net. Moreover, in 1998, 21 percent of these students purchased
$900 million in goods and services online.
It is estimated that 93 percent of distance learning programs
in American colleges and universities use email and
almost 60 percent use email in conjunction with the Web.†
When distance education is offered, campus visits are not
required for most programs. Learners register online each
semester and may take single courses for personal enrichment
or opt to enter a degree program. Textbooks and class syllabi
can be mailed to learners. Online classes run typically on a 16-
week semester schedule, beginning and ending at the same
time as on-campus classes. Students read their textbooks and
visit online message boards weekly, posting class comments or
questions whenever it is convenient for them. The back-andforth
commentary on the message boards simulates a classroom
discussion. Midterm and final exams are usually taken
under the watchful eye of an approved proctor at a local college,
library, or human resources training center. 173