<p>LongRoad,
I felt the same way as you when son decided to attend VT. He is a finance major and is required to take Calculus as a freshman. It has actually worked out well for him and he is doing well in course. Calc. is not an easy subject for son, so we were very unsure of this set up, but it has worked great. He puts quite a bit of time in the Empo. and each unit needs to be completed in a week. There are weekly quizzes at end of unit and a test every 4 units I believe. There are many tutors available in the Empo. and he has had no problems getting help if needed. I will again state that he puts the time in-he takes quizzes when he feels ready.<br>
I had the same reservations you have and I will say that it has worked well for son. To tell you the truth, I think he is probably doing better than he would have with regular lecture/class. Professor is available if needed and he has met with prof. a few times to go over things.
Sure some students can add more insight also.</p>