by Heather Scott
Staff Writer
The University of Colorado has given students a whole new way to learn - and it doesn't involve classrooms. Now, students just connect to the Internet, fire up a World Wide Web browser and press the "Go to Class" button.
With CU Online, the university has created the first completely accredited virtual campus on the Internet.
From the CU Online Web site, at cuonline.edu, students attend virtual classrooms, in which college courses are conducted entirely on the Internet. From the site, students also have access to a variety of services, including registration, academic advising and financial-aid information. There is even a virtual student union site which has links to CU events, chat rooms, entertainment and information pages.
Now in its first semester, the on-line campus offers about 20 courses, which include many basic core classes. Courses range from freshman-level U.S. history and English composition classes to junior- and senior-level courses in music, biology and sociology.
More than 300 students are presently enrolled in the school's courses, according to CU Online Director Terri Taylor Straut.
"The courses are approved by College of Liberal Arts and Sciences faculty on the CU Denver campus. Therefore, the courses are exactly the same as those taken on campus," Straut said.
Course transcripts from the on-line campus are recorded in an identical manner to classes taken at CU's Denver campus.
The on-line format offers unique opportunities for learning, according to Marvin Loflin, the dean of CU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in Denver.
"Some of the faculty members tell me they can design even more effective classes on-line. And, because of the variety of interactive participation, many of the students say they can learn more fully on-line than they can in a crowded classroom," Loflin said.
"Faculty and students like the flexibility of participating in the courses in their own time. Some students are surprised by the rigor of the courses," Straut added.
In addition, the on-line courses allow students to work around schedule conflicts with other courses.
The classes also allow students who would not be able to attend classes in a traditional campus environment, including parents staying home to care for children and students with work schedules preventing class attendance, to participate.
The courses are open to students anywhere in the world who have Internet access.
"CU Online allows us to deliver education to students wherever they wish to learn," Loflin said.
Eventually, the university hopes to offer complete degree programs via the virtual campus.
Tuition runs from $116 per credit hour for students with a valid Colorado drivers' license to $295 per credit hour for non-Colorado residents.
A computer with Internet access, a 14.4 baud (or higher) modem, a Web browser such as Netscape Navigator and a sound card are required to participate in the on-line courses.