HIGHER EDUCATION:

Online classes backed, despite cost

After expensive startup, savings seen for schools, students down the road

Steve Marcus

UNLV President David Ashley listens during a Board of Regents meeting at the Desert Research Institute Friday, June 19.

By Stephanie Tavares (contact)

Saturday, June 20, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Board of Regents Meeting

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Online learning is higher education's growth track (4-19-2008)
He's graduating, and didn't spend a day in class (3-25-2008)
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Archive of Sun education stories

Even as university system regents were consumed Friday by discussion about how to manage major budget cuts by the state in higher education, they took time to discuss how to increase student access to higher education — even though it might cost more.

Increasing the number of distance-learning courses — classes taken online from home or a remote classroom — could attract more students to the system and help those enrolled complete their programs more quickly, system administrators said.

At least a quarter of students in the state’s higher education system have taken at least one online course and some campuses offer entire degrees and certificates via the Internet.

The regents are interested in expanding the programs, even though they sometimes cost more than traditional courses.

“The most attainable and reasonable rationale for distance learning is access and success, not cost savings,” Vice Chancellor Jane Nichols said.

The Nevada System of Higher Education offers at least 50 degrees and six certificates that can be earned entirely online. Those courses are being taken not just by ranch kids in rural Nevada, but by National Guardsmen stationed in war zones, stay-at-home moms in North Las Vegas and working students who log on after a shift at a Las Vegas casino.

School administrators said students can graduate more quickly and cheaply because taking at least some of their courses online saves transportation and sometimes even textbook costs.

UNLV has seen enormous interest in its online courses, President David Ashley said. Last year the school offered about 30 percent more online courses to accommodate students pushed out by course reductions.

At a time when students are expecting significant tuition increases, any cost saving will likely help retention.

“Online courses are a way to accommodate students and to keep them on track,” Ashley said.

There could be some savings from further integrating the courses in the higher education system. Courses at all its institutions are supposed to be interchangeable. That means, at least theoretically, the system may not need a professor in each of two schools teaching the same course if the course can be taught online.

The engineering departments of some institutions are starting to share faculty in this way, Nichols said.

With online courses, campuses that are tight on space because of increased demand would be able to put off building new classrooms and would save on classroom maintenance.

But online courses require the same campus to pay people to develop and administer the programs, design the online infrastructure, keep the system up and running, and troubleshoot at remote locations where online courses are presented with live-streaming Webcasts.

And there may be additional costs to accommodate online students, such as for providing them online access to the library, counselors and services to address disabilities.

“It takes a lot to put that one course up,” Nichols said. “It’s a whole new way of teaching, a whole new way of getting course credit.”

Online courses won’t work for every class — imagine taking a basic biology class in your living room — but they are increasingly popular with students. If the system doesn’t continue to increase its online course offerings, Nevada could find itself high on yet another “worst in the nation” list.

“It’s a growing competitive environment,” Nichols said. “Everyone else is doing it. The public and students expect it. We have to do this to reach out to students and to meet their needs.”

Discussion: 8 comments so far…

By ZeddyBear

6/20/09 at 10:18 a.m.

Suggest removal

Online courses are the way to go. The regents need to look at the University of Phoenix to see how successful such programs are. The classroom is not limited to the four walls in any of the buildings on campus. The costs of such a program can be justified by the number of students who can attend such a program without venturing to Maryland Parkway.
By FastTracker

6/20/09 at 12:31 p.m.

Suggest removal

My sense is that Vice Chancellor Jane Nichols is thinking more like a government bureaucrat than an entrepreneur when discussing 'cost' issues with respect to education online.

The technologies available are likely wide ranging and ever changing, so she would serve the community better by adopting an agressive, flexible, out-of-the box perspective.

The savings side of any cost analysis should also be factored into the equation. There is measurable value delivered when students reduce their travel time and expenses. Likewise for building construction and maintenence.

Otherwise, facilitating online education is one more reason to remember the importance of this nation delivering more bandwidth at a better price, as many other countries are doing. The current dominant duopoly - the cable guys and telcos - given their own selfish interests, have held us back, relative to the rest of the world.

It's time for 'we the people' to insist that they either lead, follow or get out of the way.
By odeman

6/20/09 at 10:33 p.m.

Suggest removal

The educational industry, oops I mean system, is a dinosaur. As with most insulated from reality professions, the current system is way out of touch. We keep hearing that in the new age we will need to attend school more. How about teaching less garbage and more relevent material so that we are better equipped to deal with the new challenges in a shorter time frame. The education industry is like the fashion industry. They tell you what you need and we're stuck.

For decades if not centuries, the education industry has felt you have not been educated unless you have a well rounded education that includes a large dose of liberal arts and other garbage. So while you may be studying to be the next great computer scientist, novels, plays, poetry, and the like will also be thrown upon your plate. Great stuff for answering trivia questions at parties. I think it's ironic that the world is finding ways to shorten the time it takes to design and manufacture things and processes, yet the education industries answer is to have you spend more time with them.
By Edith_Victoria

6/20/09 at 11:08 p.m.

Suggest removal

One of the problems with online courses which was mentioned at the meeting is the fact that there's not enough information to determine whether online courses lead to successful degree completion. Imagine taking a test online with no one to watch you, your book right next to you and the Internet at your disposal. The temptation to cheat becomes greater. I have faith that most students try to be as honest as possible, but I don't know if the accessibility of the courses is worth it.
I've taken online courses before, and I noticed that, without the structure of a teacher ready and lecturing, younger students (in my courses) tended to fall apart. I don't know if it's because they're not used to motivating themselves or because of the lack of a traditional classroom environment, but many of the master's candidates and returning students did much better. The universities must examine events such as these before investing seriously in these programs. Otherwise, we'd just be joining other systems in yet another education trend which may or may not be a solution to our problems.
By geenab65

6/21/09 at 12:51 p.m.

Suggest removal

On the one hand Edith.Victoria I agree with you but on the other hand, I have a chronic disease that doesn't always allow me the traditional classroom environment. Online classes has been a godsend to me.
By bill777

6/22/09 at 8:43 a.m.

Suggest removal

1. Even the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which is the biggest advocate for distance ed, says it does not save money (and compare tuition at U of Phoenix to public schools, and, of course, U of Phoenix and its peers, pass everybody, as long as they pay)

2. Distance ed is absolutely great for the right student who is prepared and motivated. It is absolutely horrible for the wrong students. There should be more distance ed classes, but the right students must be in the right classes.

3. By the time the computer geek graduates, much of what they learned is obsolete. Students need to learn primarily how to learn, not specific job related about to be out-dated material. They need to be able to read, write, communicate with customers, and adapt as their business changes. Hard to teach those things over the Internet.

4. Business says that one of the most important skill for college grads is understanding how to work effectively in teams. Also hard to teach via the Internet.
By Sassyfrolet

6/22/09 at 12:25 p.m.

Suggest removal

"Online classes has been a godsend to me."

Online English Major
By ZeddyBear

6/23/09 at 9:18 a.m.

Suggest removal

To Sassy.....

"Online classes HAVE been....." Subject-verb agreement rules apply.