Frequent student-faculty contact in and out of class is a mos t important factor in student motivation and involvement. Therefore, a goal of distance learning should be to use technology to increase access to faculty, help them share useful resources, provide for joint problem solving and face-to-face contact with peers and instructors. Participants now have email, magic jacks, SKYPE, and cell phones to communicate.
An online course becomes a black hole that sucks all their energy