It also will help boost California's economy, they say, by giving working people easier access to college training and retraining programs that fit their schedules. Many of those in California's higher education establishment are positive, though cautious, about the project. There's lots to be learned by everybody in this arena. One of the biggest growth areas, though, is expected to be in courses that are based on the Internet and electronic mail. In those courses, assignments are posted on the Internet and class discussions, in written form, take place there as well.
Students do much of the work on their own schedule and submit their papers electronically.
Some instructors may hold office hours or occasional class sessions in person, and some may require students to appear on campus to take exams. At Sacramento-area colleges and universities, only a few such courses are now offered. But many faculty members are exploring the concept. Susan Slaymaker, a geology professor at California State University, Sacramento, is teaching a Web-based introductory earth sciences course this semester and has quickly identified the challenges. But, she added, her 54 students are handling the course work as well as those who have taken the regular lecture class.