Sandra, Your explanation of the online environment is a very good description of the current status with current technology, policies and procedures. I agree with your statement about the socialization within the educational environment. As many social constructivists would purport, social engagement is a strong component of learning. However, with so much on the Internet (Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, etc.) changing the way people socialize through video and audio at a distance, could eventual technology improvements someday evolve distance instruction and socialization to replace the traditional classroom? Dr. S. David Vaillancourt