Flashback to 2000: Remember When They Thought it Was a Fad?

It's hard to believe it's been 10 years since we breathed a sigh of relief when we escaped the would-be doom of Y2K. Around this same time, a significant number of technophobes also believed that online learning was just a passing fad. Not only has online learning flourished wildly in the last decade, but has grown up quite a bit as well. Here are some ways online learning has evolved in the last 10 years. Can you think of more?

1. It's no longer seen as a trend.
2. There are fewer small Course Management Systems, and a few very Big, Ginormous Ones.
3. Other tech-based services (registration, testing systems, tutoring, live meeting spaces, data analytic tools, etc.) must integrate seamlessly with the Big, Ginormous Ones in order to be successful.
4. Students don't have to be trained to use computers before they can take online courses.
5. Only some faculty have to be trained to use computers before they can teach online courses. :-)
6. It's not just for older, working folks and moms with little children anymore. Or for people living far, far away in the hills with only dirt roads and no traffic lights.
   
7. It's still about convenience. But it's a lot about the money, particularly in the last year or so.
   
8. It's fiercely competitive. It's no longer difficult to find affordability and quality and strong support services. However, the proprietary institutions still generally seem to have a big edge on marketing.
9. It's a lot more social, particularly with increasing integration of Web 2.0 tools.