The virtual learning future Vivienne Westbrook* National Taiwan University, Taiwan Since there is a real possibility that online courses will become the dominant informational platforms of the future universities need to address a range of issues from design and quality through to ethics and economics to ensure that the all-round investment required reaps positive outcomes. This paper addresses some of the issues that have confronted teachers and students engaged in online teaching and learning in eastern and western contexts. This paper concludes that Asian students are not necessarily poor online learners, as has often been suggested, but that they are alert to the importance, and real advantages, of personal interaction in the learning process. For this reason it is suggested that integrated hybrid virtual and classroom courses might prove more effective and elicit more positive responses from such students than courses that are conducted entirely online. Introduction As organizations across the world attempt to maintain a competitive edge in global business and education markets, the demand for online courses is steadily increasing. Theresa Chen has noted ‘as continuous learning comes to be seen more and more as a necessity for almost everyone in our rapidly changing and increasingly global society, the demand for more flexible educational environments increases accord- ingly’ (Chen, 2003, p. 37). Since there is a real possibility that online courses will become the dominant informational platforms of the future we need to think more carefully about a range of issues from design and quality through to ethics and economics. In Towards a unified e-learning strategy (DfEE, July 2003), the British Government’s Strategy Committee described e-learning as the miracle answer to Britain’s educational and concomitant social problems. E-learning, they argue: ... is important because it can contribute to all the Government’s objectives for education*/ to raising standards; improving quality; removing barriers to learning and participation in learning; preparing for employment; upskilling in the work- place and ultimately, ensuring that every learner achieves their full potential. (DfEE, 2003) In spite of the Government’s optimism, e-learning is far from being either a quick-fix solution or, indeed, a cheap alternative to traditional classroom teaching and learning. *Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, National Taiwan University, 1, sec 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC 106. Email: westbroo@ntu.edu.tw ISSN 1356-2517 (print)/ISSN 1470-1294 (online)/06/040471-12 # 2006 Taylor & Francis DOI: 10.1080/13562510600874276 Teaching in Higher Education Vol. 11, No. 4, October 2006, pp. 471  482