Virtual Classrooms and online classes

It has always fascinated me how much more poplular online classes are becoming. Schools like the University of Phoenix and now other schools getting into the act, online schooling in my opinion is exploding in popularity. I have wondered if anyone has done research on what is the better learning experience? Is it face-to-face in a classroom, or online where a person has the freedom to learn at their own pace. I have always felt that going to school and sitting in a classroom is the best way to teach responsibility to student's. Getting up at 7 am when you don't want to and driving or walking to class teaches motivation, which is something you can't get out of an online class. I would think that employers look at these types of educations differently, and that a person who "goes to a class" to learn, would be more likely to get a position. I really am not quite sure about this though, because I mean this is an online class, and I feel like I am learning alot about how the media functions. I am not going to sit here and write about how going to class is better than taking online classes, it is just fascinating the way in which education has evolved, and how it is becoming so much more technologically based with the use of computers. I would really like to hear people's opinions on the pro's and con's between taking all online classes, and classes you have to "physically" go to.