UMassOnline

UMassOnline (the University of Massachusetts Online) allows students to attend the same programmes, taught by the same faculty, as students on campus at the University of Massachusetts. It was founded in 2001 to meet the educational needs of US and international students, including working professionals and lifelong learners.

UMass Amherst is the flagship and the largest of the UMass campuses. Other UMass campuses are in Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell or Worcester (Massachusetts, US). UMassOnline offers and more than 1,500 courses across 80 certificate and degree programmes across all 5 campuses, in a variety of topics. Courses may be pursued exclusively online, through a local campus, or through a blend of the two modes. Applications, registrations and degree granting processes are managed at the campus level.

UMassOnline seeks to offer online students as much of an “on-campus” experience as possible. This includes “24/7” tech support and academic advising. As at bricks and mortar US campus, courses typically begin in early fall, spring, and summer. Courses may feature tutorials and audio lectures, photo materials, threaded asynchronous discussions, chat rooms, online readings, illustrations, and video.

UMassOnline uses Blackboard and Wimba for course delivery.

The UMassOnline Web site is at http://www.umassonline.net/

More details

“Blended” learning has been introduced only recently at UMassOnline. In January 2007, the Sloan Foundation awarded UMassOnline a $650,000 grant (and has since renewed funding) to help expand access to the University of Massachusetts. Blended learning was introduced at this time, and is being piloted across all campuses.

The last 4 years have seen unprecedented growth for UMassOnline. In 2007 it announced record revenue and student enrolments for fiscal year 2007, with programme revenue growing by 32% and enrolment by 25% in one year’s time. Similar gains were announced in April 2008, with another 26% increase in enrollments (to 33,900 over 26,855 in fiscal year 2007) and a 32% increase in revenue.

In January 2009 UMassOnline is scheduled to become first foreign entity to offer approved online higher education degrees in China.

Reports

A 2001-2002 Berkeley/CSHE case study offers a glimpse of UMassOnline’s past: http://cshe.berkeley.edu/research/ebusiness/casestudies/umo.htm

(More to follow.)

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