These include students from rural areas, the disabled and those who cannot attend campus due to commitments such as work or child-rearing (who are still predominantly female). However, while it may seem self-evident that placing subjects on the World Wide Web would increase access, if the target audience has limited access to the Internet quite the reverse may be true.

A study of computer conferencing at the Jutland Open University found that student access to computers was a critical factor. Students without home-based computers seemed ‘unwilling to leave their homes and go to a study centre for communication, when they could just as easily grab a phone or mail a letter’ (Harasim et al., 1998).

Students not only require access to the appropriate hardware, but often have to pay substantial ISP (Internet Service Provider) fees. They face additional costs if they want a printed version of content delivered online (Bennett, Priest, & Macpherson, 1999). Given that ‘plug and play’ should still be read as ‘plug and pray’ it is not necessarily an easy process to be connected to the Internet in the first place.When finally past this obstacle, frustratingly slow access times may make the student wonder if it was all worth the trouble.

Online courses do add extra choice, but many students will still opt for more traditional print-based distance education out of preference or lack of Internet access. If online courses begin to supplant more traditional forms of distance education it could actually lead to a decrease rather than an increase in choice.

Over the last few decades, university education has shifted from a system primarily associated with the academic or socio-economic elite to a mass education system. Lecturers have to cater for a student population that is more diverse than ever before including greater numbers of students from overseas.

The self pacing aspect of online learning‘is especially helpful to students who have difficulty articulating their thoughts verbally, who are shy, especially thoughtful, or whose native language is not English’ (Althaus, 1997). Students can review material as many times as they want, consult dictionaries and take time in drafting and editing their own responses. Slow learners also benefit from the fact that the time and effort taken to develop responses cannot be observed (Harasim et al., 1998).

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