This study examined the impact of substituting didactic instruction, face-to-face advisement, and conventional evaluation with distance-based delivery of content, electronic counseling, and online assessment. It analyzed the impact of distance learning demands on faculty teaching loads and computed the ideal class size for an online course. Specifically, this article sought answers to the following questions. 1. What are the teaching demands of an online course? 2. What is the impact of distance learning demands on faculty teaching loads? Does teaching at a distance require more or less of an instructor's time? 3. What is the ideal class size for an online course versus the traditional classroom? The research reflected in this study found that online teaching demanded a minimum of 14[percent] more time than traditional instruction, most of which was spent presenting instructional content. The weekly impact on teaching load also varied considerably between the two formats. Traditional teaching was more stable across the semester while online teaching fluctuated greatly during periods of advisement and assessment. Finally, the ideal class size was calculated for both instructional formats.