Flash drives

Hendry, Erica. At Distance - Learning College, Flash Drive Replaces course - Management System. Chronicle of Higher Education. August 21, 2009.

This article talks about using flash drives instead of online to complete the course work. At the Thomas Edison State College (aTrenton-based distance - education institution) they have an option of using 2GB flash drive instead of a course-management system to prepare for and complete their classes.
The flash drives are part of the college's Mobile Learning Initiative, developed after it discovered many of its students who were stationed with the military or frequently traveling couldn't access a course-management system on a regular basis.
The college piloted the flash drives this spring in 15 "FlashTrack" courses, which include the "Science of Nutrition," "Social Gerontology," and "Principles of Finance." Each flash drive contained Open Office versions of word processing, spreadsheet and presentation programs; media players; and folders containing course material. At the end of the class, students took a high-stakes test as they would in any other online course to complete the course.
The college has combined both of those technologies to offer the flash drives they will distribute to all students this fall.
In this generation of flash drives, the college hopes to install technology that will allow the flash drive to automatically connect to a folder hosted by the college, so students can submit assignments whenever the flash drive detects an Internet connection.