Online learning and time factor

Time is a critical factor in learning. Time efficiency of the instruction and of the learning process becomes a decisive factor in assessing a program or a course. Colleges and universities will soon be selected and appreciated not only by the quality of education they provide but also by the time the learning takes. This concerns web-based or online education even more than the traditional, classroom-based education because it is primarily a self-managed enterprise. Research and numerous innovative pedagogic approaches demonstrate that time efficiency of the learning can be improved through the use of accelerated and intensive methodologies, greater involvement of the learner's intellectual and emotional capacities, and effective planning of teaching and learning processes. This paper offers the authors' view on these issues based on their own research.