The (often unquestioned) assumption driving online learning is that it can be as good as face-to-face learning (or good enough not to matter). Online education'

The (often unquestioned) assumption driving online learning is that it can be as good as face-to-face learning (or good enough not to matter). Online education's backers must make this assumption because, as Upton Sinclair said, 'It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.' What if they turn out to be horribly wrong?