Issue date: 10/6/08 Section: News

Nine months ago, the University of Illinois implemented its global campus, an 8.9 million dollar program that allows students from around the world to earn their degrees online.

The global campus is not as popular as its creators had hoped, leaving the online university and other online courses with an uncertain future.

"Students won't try it because it's new," Courtney Cunningham, a sophomore English education major, said. "If you go to school online, you can't go to anyone if you have a question."

Cunningham also feels that most students would prefer to gain "the full collegiate experience" by attending classes and socializing with instructors and classmates.

"I like going to class and meeting new people," Cunningham said. "I don't think I would give up my regular classes because I want the atmosphere."

But for students who cannot relocate to a campus due to other commitments, the concept of a flexible education is ideal.

"Students wouldn't get a degree if it weren't for taking classes online," Bill Shields, general education coordinator for the Department of Geography and Geology, said.

Shields, who uses a role playing game called "Second Life" as a tool to help teach his classes, explained that U of I's failure to attract students to the global campus might also be caused by a lack of advertising.

He added that the small interest may also be due to students' preference for traditional classes, but believes forums like Second Life can create the one-on-one experience they undergo at a traditional university.

"I use it for online office hours, review sessions and lectures … I can even have a NASA scientist lecture to one of my classes through Second Life," Shields said. "It brings a closer connection between students because the communication is in real time."

Shields added that Second Life could become a norm at ISU, as the university already owns "land" in the program and has been using it for classes and symposiums.

"We're trying to get fine arts and graduate students interested so they can share their work with people from different countries," he said.

Jay Groves, director of ISU Media Relations, explained that online courses and the use of programs like Second Life will only be created and used if ISU students show a need for them.

"We offer a variety of online classes for the convenience of our students," Groves said. "But the university will only create online classes depending on what the students demand and desire."

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools