A far cry from traditional correspondence courses, today's distance learning programs offer students access to streamed media lectures, online discussion groups, and digital libraries, while providing them flexibility in class and assignment schedules unavailable at brick-and-mortar institutions. The uniqueness of the digital experience has encouraged many people for whom further schooling had been unworkable to enroll in career-enhancing study.

Whether they are pursuing a bachelor's degree, a graduate degree, or a career-specific certification, these students are typically employed full-time and often have families; some live abroad while others live too far from an educational facility to be able to attend regularly. Even for residents of major cities, a nearby facility can seem remote due to scheduling conflicts. That is why, says Andy Rosen, Chief Operating Officer of Kaplan.com, some students in Kaplan's online Concord Law School happen to live in New York City. While New York is chock full of law schools, "not every one can commit to every Thursday at 6 p.m.," he explains sympathetically. Seeking to change careers or add a credential in their spare time, people prefer the more flexible student life that online education allows.

It is this formula of access plus flexibility that has made distance learning the new wave in education. A 1998 International Data Corp. survey of emerging markets reported that Web-based training and education will rise to 2 million users this year and to more than 5 million users by 2002. Enter the big players in online ed., like Kaplan Educational Services (heretofore best known for its test prep services). Leveraging on its respected brand, the company has expanded its services by acquiring educational companies in diverse industries and repackaging them into a multi-tiered online curriculum with something to offer to everyone from small children to retirement age seniors. Since 1994, when Jonathan Grayer became Chief Executive Officer at the age of 29, Kaplan has made programs in Nursing, Criminal Justice, Law, Paralegal Studies, General Business, and Information Technology available for study on the Web. Two years ago, the company launched its virtual law school, Concord, which offers a four-year degree. Concord offers different degrees for law students who intend to practice the law and for those who prefer to trade on their legal expertise to secure jobs in business or government. Kaplan's motto, "Learn to Earn," reflects the belief that education, especially professional training, can change peoples' lives and swell their earning power.

Kaplan's makeover from test prep company to educator-at-large stems from a desire to provide customers with what Rosen calls "multiple learning experiences." In its earlier incarnation, the company had one shot at students through the SAT or GRE tutorial courses. Once these students took the standardized tests, however, Kaplan never saw them again. The c...