Given the growing access to free or low-cost premium university content online, is a traditional college degree still necessary? Given the expense and exclusivity of a college education and the cutbacks forcing many campuses to make painful reductions in student aid, it’s a valid question. Tuition rates are sky high, and many people simply cannot afford to attend their schools of choice. Of course, no one who has ever paid for a college education wants to even think about whether a college degree is still valuable. It’s too painful to consider. Even students who attend local colleges and live at home still get the valuable experience of interacting directly with other classmates in the same room — something that’s hard to imitate with a webcast.
But are these benefits compelling enough to dismiss what online learning programs have to offer?
http://blog.upmo.com/2012/06/13/education-2-0-how-online-education-programs-have-disrupted-higher-ed/
