faced by growing demand for university places, more institutions are likely to develop on-line course, but the apparent benefits of e-learning may be less than are generally believed. Students seem to value the personal contact of the classroom highly, despite its cost and inconvenience. there may be a role for internet-based courses to supplement teacher-taught ones, and certainly for people with other commitments they will be the only practical option. there is an urgent need for research on the effectiveness of this type of learning, which should help maximise its advantages in the future.