MOOC expansion signals beneficial integration between traditional and online course structures

Online courses are rapidly emerging within educational institutions across the country — and you don’t have to look much further than our University to see why. In fact, the number of classes taught completely online jumped from 1.4 percent to 5.3 percent over the last few years, according to Faye Lesht, head of the division of academic outreach at the Office of Online and Continuing Education. And part of that is thanks to the expansion of Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs.
As tuition costs rise, increasing numbers of students are looking for more affordable, less traditional means of obtaining the knowledge and skill sets offered by the pricey four-year degree. Professors are looking for ways to maximize and integrate technology into their class structure, and administrators are seeking to reach out to as many students as possible — on and off campus. More...