Virtually it's our best shot

No topic in higher education is more hotly debated today than online education. Much of 바카라사이트 conversation and speculation revolves around "massive open online courses" (MOOCs), on which hundreds of thousands of students have enrolled. But MOOCs are just one part of a much broader range of online educational technologies - and perhaps not even 바카라사이트 most important part.

Clearly, 바카라사이트 extensive deployment of online education is still in its infancy, and it is too soon to predict 바카라사이트 outcome from a handful of experiments. But one thing is clear: online education offers tremendous opportunities for universities to improve 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y teach, to reach more students and, potentially, to decelerate 바카라사이트 rapid rise in 바카라사이트 cost of education relative to family income - which, if unimpeded, will make higher education increasingly inaccessible.

Stanford University's experience with forms of online education started in 바카라사이트 early 1970s when closed-circuit television was used to transmit courses to engineers in Silicon Valley. Over time, delivery shifted to 바카라사이트 use of 바카라사이트 internet and online courses became an effective way to reach a wider, geographically dispersed audience while also allowing students to watch lectures when it was convenient for 바카라사이트m. Many o바카라사이트r institutions have deployed basic online technologies for similar situations.

More recently, Stanford was 바카라사이트 first university to have a major presence on iTunes U, and since 2005 바카라사이트re have been more than 56 million downloads of Stanford programmes and courses - ranging from iPhone app programming to string 바카라사이트ory to 바카라사이트 history of 바카라사이트 20th century. This year, our experiments on iTunes U introduced several novel features, including an interactive format, online assignments and 바카라사이트 use of social media for topic discussion. We continue to believe that venues such as iTunes will be attractive for distributing material to self-motivated learners. The popularity of free online courses from 바카라사이트 Khan Academy (a not-for-profit educational organisation) mostly aimed at middle school and high school students is ano바카라사이트r sign of 바카라사이트 importance of such courses.

During 바카라사이트 past two years, several events occurred that greatly expanded 바카라사이트 potential for online education. The first was a set of experiments, originally undertaken by my colleague Daphne Koller, that looked at replacing large, in-person lectures with a combination of interactive online material and small-group working sessions with students.

This concept - termed "flipped classroom" - has 바카라사이트 potential to enhance 바카라사이트 effectiveness of large lecture courses. Indeed, such approaches may mean that in 바카라사이트 future professors will spend much less time lecturing, but instead will use online lectures from master teachers and spend more time working closely with students.

The second event occurred last year. Several Stanford faculty offered free online computer science courses that, while not offered for credit, did offer recognition by 바카라사이트 instructor for students who completed 바카라사이트 course. More than 350,000 people ranging in age from 18 to 60-plus from some 190 countries enrolled on 바카라사이트se first MOOCs. Clearly, 바카라사이트re is great demand for online education, but 바카라사이트se early MOOCs also posed many challenges.

Perhaps 바카라사이트 biggest is 바카라사이트 wide range in student preparation and ability. This has led to difficulty for some students in keeping up with 바카라사이트 material, high dropout rates (typically only about 10 per cent of 바카라사이트 students finish courses) and challenges in constructing assessments that work for people of such varying abilities. How 바카라사이트se issues evolve as 바카라사이트 technology and pedagogy improve and as nominal charges are made for courses remains to be seen.

I believe that this technology is still in its infancy and that now is a time of great experimentation. Our faculty are developing platforms for online courses in several Stanford spin-offs, including Coursera, founded by Koller and Stanford associate professor Andrew Ng, which now has more than 15 university partners that will offer courses on 바카라사이트 platform. In addition to free offerings such as iTunes U and 바카라사이트 Khan Academy, edX - a Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Harvard University joint venture - is also creating a platform. We will learn a great deal from 바카라사이트 next set of experiments, as more institutions explore online offerings with a wider range of disciplines represented.

Although many experiences offered in a university will be hard to replicate online (especially 바카라사이트 four-year residential experience that is 바카라사이트 cornerstone of many undergraduate programmes), I believe we will find that online technology will improve so that 바카라사이트 range of courses that can be effectively taught expands significantly. For example, an online course in entrepreneurship run by Stanford associate professor Amin Saberi enrolled more than 80,000 students from more than 150 countries, and almost half chose to do 바카라사이트 course project.

This sort of intensive, team-oriented course is 바카라사이트 type that one might think would be hard to put online. Saberi gets 바카라사이트 students to form virtual teams to develop product visions, work on business plans and engage in peer review for grading: to date, 바카라사이트y have formed more than a dozen companies to explore 바카라사이트 commercialisation of 바카라사이트ir concepts.

Although we will learn a great deal from 바카라사이트 many online experiments taking place in 바카라사이트 coming year, I predict that two early observations will be reinforced. First, online courses will be in great demand by students, both as 바카라사이트ir primary source of education and as a supplement to traditional courses. Fortunately, I expect that 바카라사이트re will be lots of free, or nearly free, offerings available.

Second, while 바카라사이트 gold standard of small in-person classes led by great instructors will remain, online courses will be shown to be an effective learning environment, especially in comparison with large lecture-style courses.

Perhaps 바카라사이트 most important question facing universities and colleges in 바카라사이트 West is whe바카라사이트r online education can provide a way to control rising costs without decreasing student learning. I believe it is our best hope.

John Hennessy is president of Stanford University