Dear Propeller Heads: I've looked into my local university's continuing-education program, but my schedule makes it difficult to attend classes at night. Are there any good Internet-based alternatives?

A: We're afraid that online courses will never help you recapture the magic of Hazing Week at your old fraternity, but if you're serious about learning this time, the Internet can be a great place.

Of course, if your idea of college courses includes face time with professors and other students, there isn't a good substitute for showing up to a classroom.

But if you'll settle for online access to assignments and lectures from prestigious institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of California at Berkeley, then you're in luck!

MIT announced an online initiative in 2001 called Open-CourseWare (ocw.mit.edu),to "advance knowledge and educate students . . . to best serve the world."

Seven years and 1,800 courses later, anyone with an Internet connection can download syllabi, quizzes, and video lectures for courses ranging from aerospace engineering to world literature.

The idea of getting educated without paying tuition proved popular, prompting other universities to follow suit. There's now an OpenCourseWare Consortium (ocwconsortium.org) of schools from around the world, from Australia to Vietnam. American participants include Notre Dame, Tufts and Johns Hopkins, among others.

Other institutions provide similar resources.

UC-Berkeley has an entire YouTube channel at youtube.com/ucberkeley, and is one of many schools that offer audio and video recordings of lectures online for free. Apple's iTunes University (apple.com/education/itunesu) has more.

Free access to raw course materials is great, but Carnegie Mellon is exploring more interactive methods of teaching over the Web. Its Open Learning Initiative (cmu.edu/oli) offers only 10 courses, but employs "innovative online instructional components" such as virtual laboratories and group experiments.

MIT and others are quick to stress that while having great resources for "self-learners," these sites do not provide a college education.

In particular, no degrees, certificates, or continuing education credits are awarded based on the use of OpenCourseWare materials.

Participation also does not include access to faculty, so don't expect a virtual Mr. Peabody as part of the deal.

In addition, many instructors do not post all of their material online, leaving you to fill in some of the gaps yourself. But you really can't complain since it's free.

Looking for something more formal, like paying tuition and getting a degree?

Then you'll want to check out online universities.

Some good places to start include elearners.com, college degree.com, and adult learn.com, which allow you to browse a list of schools or search by academic subjects and degrees.

So people looking for a convenient, flexible, and inexpensive way to continue their education need only a Web browser and some free time.

But nothing on the Internet will bring back those glorious college days.