By Kelly Puente, Long Beach Press-Telegram
The Fullerton program started small with about 25 students per course, said program director Jenny Zhang, adding that the program will grow in the fall. Zhang said Fullerton received about 140 applications this year and more than 500 for fall 2013. “So far I think our students are very happy with the program,” she said. “Almost all of our students are working full time, and it’s hard for them to come to campus, so this is a good solution.” But as the demand grows, online learning also faces challenges, including costs for program development and concerns over quality and academic rigor. “The vast majority of our faculty is not opposed to online education, but we want to make sure it’s the quality education that you’d find in a regular classroom,” said Teri Yamada, a professor of Asian Studies at Cal State Long Beach and member of the Cal State Online Taskforce, a group of faculty and other CSU officials who oversee the development of online programs. “The ideal online class would be small, under 35 students. Because to teach a quality online course, you have to establish a relationship with the student.”
http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_22610430/california-universities-see-future-online-classes
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