Latest news that has just arrived, it has been confirmed that “to support the creation of standards for online learning, the US Department of Education [will] $1.8 million to the National Center for Accessible Media” (Bricout 4). This seems like a fitting announcement that could have been made on any news channel in 2001. As most don't realize, the internet and education have been closely intertwined for some time. In fact, online courses have already played a role in students' lives at university. The question is whether professors and universities are willing to take the extra step of making the Internet the primary source of communication for the courses they teach. This article will provide an overview of the benefits of online courses from several different perspectives. Despite the few disadvantages that exist, there are many advantages to an online course, most of which contradict the factors used to minimize it. Using the Internet as the main source of communication is faster, simplistic and can concern every individual or group (Bricout 1). Provided there are no technical problems, using the Internet seems “less hectic” (Caris 3) and allows a certain form of freedom. For example, shy students are no longer afraid to participate in discussions because their identity is somewhat anonymous. However, not everything is anonymous because a professor's constant responses create a sense of presence that keeps the student on task and preoccupied with their own work. Many students enjoy working online because their thoughts are written in advance and they have time to edit or prepare them before sharing instead of being put on the spot. From THE Journal......middle of article......d October 3, 2004 from http://itdl.org/journal/Jan_04/article03.htmDaughenbaugh, R., Ensminger, D. Frederick, L. & Surry, D. Does personality type have an effect on online versus in-class satisfaction? At the Mid-South Instructional Technology Conference. Retrieved October 3, 2004 from http://www.mtsu.edu/~itconf/proce02/3.htmlLavelle, E., Theordore, P., and Yuliang, L. (2004). Experimental effects of online instruction on teachers' concerns about technology integration. International Journal of Educational Technology and Distance Learning.Muhammad, EE (nd). Tech or not, that is the question. Retrieved October 3, 2004 from http://servercc.oakton.edu/~tingxiu/octe/octe1/Proceedings/Muhammad.htm Wade, William (2004). Why I teach online. THE Journal. Retrieved October 3, 2004 from http://www.thejournal.com/magazone/vault/A5009C.cfm