Hi, Everyone, Due to a "structural deficit" in the State of Maryland, and per the University System of Maryland Chancellor's July 23, 2007 letter at http://www.usmd.edu/usm/chancellor/Jul2007.html you will soon see at University of Maryland University College: 1. few course sections offered each term and 2. more students assigned to each section. The recent figure that I saw stated most online classes will now have a maximum class size of 32 (the previous cap was 30). However, instructors will not receive an increase in pay. There is also a moratorium on hiring new faculty. Nellie
I have done a great deal of online teaching and facilitating and I would insist on being forced to listen to a Yoko Ono album, without pause, for 24 hours before I would agree to take on a section of 30+ students in an online class. Unless there were 5 groups of 6 and all assesments were via a single group project. Lord, it is time consuming enough with 20. I cannot imagine how quality online can translate, for learners or faculty, to 30+ learners.
