People are correct when they say online education will take things out the classroom. But they are wrong, I think, when they assume it will make learning an independent, personal activity. Learning has to occur in a community.”
This is a key point in making those who feel that there are huge flaws in online learning. While there is definite potential for the "correspondence course" model they mention above to still be present, there are myriad ways in which online learning can be extremely communal. What I love about it is that it automatically eliminates pacing concerns in that students can move through material at a rate that is more to their style.