Forward-looking universities are developing their own sophisticated online education capabilities. MIT with its OpenCourseWare initiative, and Cornell with its profitable e-Cornell subsidiary are two of the most visible examples. Apollo Group, parent company of the University of Phoenix, recently acquired Carnegie Learning, a provider of computer-based math tutorials.

Students will spend less time in the classroom, in favor of learning through personalized tutorials such as those produced by Carnegie Learning. They will also learn more from one another, via social media technologies, to defined learning objectives.