Is there a new potential for e-learning?

Jack Nilles has argued that there is a renaissance in e-learning from the perspective of a scientist who has followed this area for decades. http://people.oii.ox.ac.uk/dutton/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/ee-Learning%20Renaissance.pdf His argument, in part, is that there has been a transition from online education as an experiment for universities to a necessity if universities are to respond to the developing skills and preferences of students, and the constraints on travel to, and financing of, traditional campus-based institutions. I am beginning to hear this theme from a variety of knowledgeable observers. Are we seeing a new phase in the development of e-learning?

Comments are most welcome