UConn announces more online courses next year

UConn announces more online courses next year

Flexible learning opportunities for busy adults will expand with the announcement made by the University of Connecticut to increase its online course offerings in 2010.

The school will follow the recommendations of the online education task force - consisting of 27 faculty and administrators from different departments - established in December 2008 by Provost Peter Nicholls, according to the Daily Campus.

According to Douglas Cooper, a co-chair of the task force and a professor of chemical materials and biomolecular engineering, online instruction brings benefits to students who may find it easier to complete a degree in four years. Moreover, the option allows them to avoid scheduling conflicts when two desired courses meet at the same time.

Online courses also help instructors "explore new methods of teaching," says Cooper, quoted by the news source.

"One of the ideas behind this task force is that what they learn in the process of developing an online course they can actually take back to face-to-face courses," he stresses.

In addition to flexibility, education experts also stress the cost-effectiveness of online degrees which makes them particularly attractive to working parents who plan to switch careers.

In fact, estimates from the Census Bureau suggest individuals with a college degree earn about twice as much as those with only a high school diploma.