The Virtual University

Currently universities are scrambling to get into Web-based distance education, primarily driven by the fear that they will be left out while others are doing it. Unfortunately, most existing virtual courses are basically parodies of existing courses. In fact, the emergence of the virtual university offers the unique opportunity to redesign and rethink the concept of what a university can and should be. This article discusses fundamental problems in traditional education courses and curricula, and ways in which a virtual university can address these.