ceed in a distance-delivered class" (Neal). Not many students coming out of high school may be "self-directed and conscientious about completing assignments" and many traditional aged college students still require ample and frequent feedback on assignments. It is clear that this type of learning environment may not be for everyone. Another matter to consider, especially for those students and parents of students graduating high school and thinking of distance education is the experience that the traditional college experience brings. Dylan Tweney, a content development manager for Infoworld and writer about the Internet since 1993, explained, "The efficient acquisition of knowledge is only a tiny fraction of what going to college means. Face-to-face interaction with professors, living away from one's parents, and socializing with a diverse group of people count for a lot in college education -- and these experiences can't be replicated online" (Tweney). In my own personal experience with distance education classes throughthe Internet, I have found them to be challenging. I have taken many classes in an actual college classroom and on the Internet. For different courses I have even had the same instructor both in a classroom and online. I have found that much relies on the instructor’s organization and planning as well as the readability of the textbook. It is certainly not a ‘read this chapter and take a quiz’ type of environment. Weekly lectures are typed and postings to discussion groups are required. Some courses even have synchronous "chat" meetings to simulate classroom discussion and interaction. It certainly not a watered-down education by any means. The flexibility of taking classes online helps me to juggle my work, family and other responsibilities without tying up scheduled blocks of time in a classroom. Using the Internet to take college courses is an option that now allows people...
