Well, as with all things that are advertised, read carefully what is written about the course, the course description etc. but more importantly be aware of what is NOT written. For example it is usually written how often a student is recommended to login to an online course but in my research in is rarely stated what are the requirements of the instructor to login (and in my experience some instructors login in very infrequently) It might be a good idea to make inquiries on the requirements of the instructors not just how often they login, are instructors required to give feed back and /or intermittent grades so that you are not frustrated later during the course.

It is an interesting fact that most online courses are MORE expensive that conventional classroom learning but unfortunately online courses tend to be much less regulated.

If you are interested in an online degree program for example it is important to ask the ‘right’ questions before hand. Because of the cost and the length of time involved with online degree programs it is very frustrating to find out half way through for example that credits for courses completed are not transferable if you want to leave the program.

It is very important to know what your ‘rights’ are as an online student and if you have a conflict with an instructor where can you ‘go’ to resolve issues outside the ‘classroom’. This is especially important if you enroll in an online degree program that could last three years. Some instructors for example do not give any feedback or intermittent grades during a course. Personally I think that is unfair and unacceptable and I have seen that cause conflicts in the ‘classroom’, another common complaint in online courses is instructors vanishing without a word while you are working away trying to meet deadlines! - This sort of issues should be cleared up front.