By developing high-quality learning resources in these areas, universities can improve students' access to the courses, relieve the need for additional faculty members, and actually improve the quality of instruction. Students can plug into the courses and master the material at their own pace, from a location that suits them, and with a high degree of quality control. Another promising subject area is low-demand languages. Currently the CIC offers the cooperative Foreign Language Enhancement Program, which provides graduate students with summer scholarships to take advantage of language instruction offered at another CIC university. Learning technology could enlarge this successful program by making such instruction available throughout the year and reducing the need to travel to another campus.
Students stand to benefit in the area of continuing education as well.
Lifelong education, outreach, service to alumni, to the workplace, to corporations, professional associations, and public primary and secondary educators may all be the responsibility of a continuing education unit. Demands for continuing education are increasing rapidly, as larger segments of the population realize their need for lifelong learning-and frequently turn to their universities to provide it. With shared classes, students can benefit from a hybrid environment with access to greater expertise and a wider and more various peer learning group. Faculty members potentially can teach a larger number of students, because the responsibilities of a given class are shared with another faculty member. Faculty at several CIC institutions have already begun to implement these new approaches to learning.