I hope not, I believe not. Many colleagues here on ResearchGate have already (partially) answered this question in other discussion threads / contexts. There are good reasons to assume that online learning in all its manifestations will remain a niche application for certain well-defined situations and goals.

Of course, those who are intensively working, researching and developing in this area, may come to think that this is the future of education. But people thought that too 40 years ago when programmed instruction - a very early prototype of online learning - was invented - and nobody is talking anymore on it. 

Thus if you have a good idea about a new type or a clever improvement of online learning, go ahead by all means. But refrain from extravagant extrapolations about online learning and teaching replacing traditional forms of education which are rich and highly interactive in a human sense, no computer software may ever imitate.

Online learning is great for working professionals and creates new opportunities for students. It also helps in delivering a higher quality education by bringing together teachers and students without regard for geographical distance.

However, it does require a great deal of discipline and lacks the social interaction required for the development of social skills. The are attempts to reduce the gap by creating institutional social networks and encouraging participation through audio and video conferencing, but it cannot match the level of interaction present in face-to-face communication.

Online learning will therefore most likely co-exist with on-campus learning rather than replace it.

Online education system has determined its own application in different domains. However, for main stream education it is better not to use it because it may cause developing misconception among the participating students due to its inherent unsupervised character. Therefore instead of replacing a stable educational method it can be used as a complimentary tool that will provide a structured source of information and may be used by the students after the related course material has been discussed in a class using chalk and talk methodology.

Online learning has become an essential part of education in the last few years but I do not think it is the future of university education

Best Regards Emma Camarero

I believe that online learning should replace lectures and that, as in a flipped classroom model, the classroom time should be spent discussing and applying the concepts and clarifying any complexities rather than teaching them from introduction. Effective online learning makes in-class time more interesting and engaging.

I agree with Dr. Jill Hosmer