The Trouble With Online College (N.Y. Times)

"...courses delivered solely online may be fine for highly skilled, highly motivated people, but they are inappropriate for struggling students who make up a significant portion of college enrollment and who need close contact with instructors to succeed..."

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/19/opinion/the-trouble-with-online-college.html?_r=0 

The comments are interesting. Like the one about the student attempting to gain admission into graduate school with an online organic chemistry lab.  

A related article: http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2013/02/22/some-groups-may-not-benefit-online-education 

See also: http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/publications/adaptability-to-online-learning.html