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Beyond the creation of multi-national campuses, there has been a push by brick and mortar universities to provide online courses. Such offerings are one way in which traditional academic institutions are trying to compete with virtual universities such as Phoenix University Online. Distance learning initiatives are increasing in both public and private universities as experts continue efforts to develop highly sophisticated virtual education models.
In a push to assist community college offerings that are on equal footing with those of private or for-profit universities, the Obama administration has proposed a $500 million on-line education plan that would essentially establish free, online courses accessible to all.47 If created, the initiative would be similar to Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s OpenCourseWare project or Carnegie Mellon’s Open Learning Initiative (OLI).
Carnegie Mellon’s Open Learning Initiative has created a cutting-edge way to assess online student learning by creating a system that responds to students, instructors, course designers, and learning science researchers. The OLI system uses what is referred to as an iterative model process that provides an interactive experience by supplying multiple opportunities for feedback to all parties involved.48 Offering courses such as Statistics, Modern Biology, Chemistry, Economics, French, and Physics, OLI:
Uses intelligent tutoring systems, virtual laboratories, simulations, and frequent opportunities for assessment and feedback, the Open Learning Initiative builds courses that are intended to enact instruction – or, more precisely, enact the kind of dynamic, flexible, and responsive instruction that fosters learning.49
In a sense, OLI tries to simulate human interaction by offering specific feedback for specific situations, just as an instructor would in a classroom setting. The development of systems such as OLI to provide a high level interactivity could make virtual education all the more appealing to both students and educational institutions.
48 Carnegie Mellon. “The Initiative”