Education at the Crossroads

The Internet offers colleges and universities new opportunities to act on a potential watershed—online learning. Online learning offers students and institutions great flexibility, and thus, online courses are increasing in number and scope. This article taps the perspectives of preservice teachers enrolled at an urban university. The majority of students in traditional courses favor online courses but are less likely to enroll in them. Implications are that instructors must address student perceptions that online courses are not as effective in preparing them to teach. The majority of students taking online courses find that they meet their academic needs and improve their technological skills.