Sean Coughlin:

Online university providers, which offered people the chance to study from home, are turning full circle by creating a network of learning centres where students can meet and study together.
 
 Instead of demolishing the dusty old classrooms, the online university revolution is responsible for opening some new ones.
 
 Coursera, a major California-based provider of online courses, is creating an international network of “learning hubs”, where students can follow these virtual courses in real-life, bricks and mortar settings.
 
 And there are thousands of meet-ups in cafes and libraries where students get together to talk about their online courses.