Dr Gilly Salmon, from the Open University Business School, pointed out that online learning "changes the scope and competencies" required of tutors. She argued that tutors need to be carefully trained for their new roles and that many will be unable to make the transition to online teaching. Just as students need to be supported in this unfamiliar learning environment, so too do the people who teach them. At present many online teachers do not themselves have enough training to make this form of learning successful and productive for learners.

On balance the general view was that online learning should be approached carefully and with due consideration. Although not suitable for all students it represents a highly successful learning medium. The internet is ideal for distance learning because it can be accessed at times most convenient to the student, it can direct learners to other related website information and it enables students to engage in informal networking thus easing learner isolation which can be problematic in traditional distance learning situations. Perhaps best of all, online learning is truly global. Organisations can deliver courses to students in Basel and Basingstoke simultaneously. The rapid growth of online learning could mean that the concept of 'distance' in distance learning soon becomes an anachronism.