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According to a recent press release, a Defense Department online course is completed every seven seconds. Their Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative has grown significantly in the past decade.

Following to the "rule of thirds" they've been able to save time and money by switching to the online class format:

"You can save money by a third, and then either improve performance by a third or reduce time by a third - either one, but not both," Mr. Wisher said.

The Defense acquisition University at Fort Belvoir, Va., for example, spent $500,000 to convert its traditional defense acquisition course to a self-paced course offered through ADL. Instead of spending nine days in a resident course, plus two travel days getting to and from Fort Belvoir, students take a 25-hour online course "on their time, when they can do it," Mr. Jesukiewicz said.

The conversion offered other payoffs, too, he said. The course can now accommodate 14,000 to 15,000 students a year, not the previous 3,000. And it's cheaper for the Defense Department to maintain the course - $1.5 million a year vs. $6 million for traditional training.

Mr. Wisher doesn't predict any end to traditional resident military training, but said ADL offers a promising alternative or addition."

It's encouraging that many institutions are able to provide online training at a reduced cost. However, saving time and money should not be the ultimate goals of educational programs. Hopefully everyone will keep this in mind as online training programs grow.