objective was to assess the potential roadblocks that might prevent these traditional institutions from adopting sophisticated, “machine guided” learning tools into their curriculums

The most frequently cited motivation for adopting online programs was “the desire to generate new revenue streams,” they write.

“Very few are using either savings from online education or the net incremental revenue to reduce the price of education to students,”

Neither has a belief in superior pedagogical opportunities played much of a role in the decision of traditional institutions to push their curriculums on to the Web.

potential obstacles to the widespread adoption of such systems -- most revolving around faculty skepticism

perennial fear that instructors could lose their jobs to interloping automatons.

intellectual property issues might be the thorniest obstacle

professors might not be keen to use automated tutorials that they cannot add to and remix based on their own styles and tastes.

The role of open resources in enabling universities to adapt was the message of Steve Carson from M.I.T.

Traditionally, universities performed three functions, he said: “providing content to students, learning activities, and assessment and certification.” The Internet’s ability to provide more and better content faster and more cheaply meant these functions “have become disaggregated,” Mr. Carson said. But he suggested they may be about to come back together in a different form.