25. A method for publication and distribution of educational materials, the method comprising: receiving by at least one host computer one or more educational works over a communications network from at least one author of the one or more educational works, storing the one or more educational works on the host computer, at least one of the one or more educational works having a plurality of segments, receiving from an instructor one or more selections of one or more of the plurality of segments over a communications network, retrieving the one or more selected segments from the one or more educational works, producing a compilation of educational course materials including the one or more selected segments, storing the compilation, recording payment by a purchaser for one or more of the segments of the compilation, distributing to the purchaser a copy of only the one or more segments of the compilation for which payment has been recorded, and sending a predetermined royalty to the at least one author of the segment of the one or more educational works.
25. A method for publication and distribution of educational materials, the method comprising: receiving by at least one host computer one or more educational works over a communications network from at least one author of the one or more educational works, storing the one or more educational works on the host computer, at least one of the one or more educational works having a plurality of segments, receiving from an instructor one or more selections of one or more of the plurality of segments over a communications network, retrieving the one or more selected segments from the one or more educational works, producing a compilation of educational course materials including the one or more selected segments, storing the compilation, recording payment by a purchaser for one or more of the segments of the compilation, distributing to the purchaser a copy of only the one or more segments of the compilation for which payment has been recorded, and sending a predetermined royalty to the at least one author of the segment of the one or more educational works. 26. The method for publication and distribution of educational materials of claim 25 further comprising: associating the compilation with a class.