Still feeling the effects of deep cuts sustained to balance this year’s State budget (click here to see managing editor Ryan ZumMallen’s story), Long Beach State recently got some good news and then some bad news within a span of 24 hours. On November 18, the CSU Board of Trustees approved a plan that requests $884 million from the State to restore funding levels to its 2010/2011 budget. But just one day later, the State’s Legislative Analyst projected a $21.3 billion State deficit for next year’s budget. Unless the economy recovers in historic fashion and the State’s revenue sources begin to outpace outlays by leaps and bounds, it is highly improbable that the State will be in a fiscal position to meet the CSU System’s request. It looks like California is in for another bruising budget battle.
Where does this leave higher education? With the number of applicants continually rising and the number of spots diminishing, colleges and universities are forced to come up with alternatives to help them survive shrinking budgets. One alternative that has grown in popularity in recent years is the expansion of online courses. Most colleges and universities already offer some portion of their courses in online form, either as part of hybrid courses or as exclusively distance learning classes. In the face of budget reductions, some schools are expanding their online course offerings.
Fueling support for expanded online courses are recent research studies like the one published just last month by Drs. Seta Boghikian-Whitby and Yehia Mortagy from the University of La Verne. Their multi-year study published in Premier Reference Source, Comparative Blended Learning Practices and Environments compared the achievement of students taking the same course in hybrid and online formats and found the success rate about the same.
But are such findings convincing enough to compel colleges and universities to make more online courses available? The benefits of online courses are clear: lower overhead costs for schools and added convenience for students. Yet, others would argue that the cost-savings and convenience don’t make up for the disadvantages; namely, the lack of social interaction and immediate feedback and the fact that “self-discipline” (in most cases) can never replace the discipline imposed by an instructor.
What do you think? Is it time for colleges and universities to expand their online course offerings?
Source: Boghikian-Whitby, S. and Mortagy, Y. “Student Profile and Its Effects on Online and Hybrid Courses”. Premier Reference Source, Comparative Blended Learning Practices and Environments. October 2009.