In January, San Jose State and the online educational startup Udacity teamed up to test the idea of offering for-credit college courses to anyone with a high-speed Internet connection, including high school
students. The San Jose State Plus pilot started small — three remedial and entry-level math courses, a cap of 100 students per course at
$150 each offered for high school, community college and university students.
Gov. Jerry Brown — who started the Oakland charter school when he was the city’s mayor — said at the project’s unveiling in San Jose that online education could open doors for students whose busy lives don’t fit into the traditional college structure or who need better preparation for college studies.
A study on the project, due out in the fall, could validate such hopes.
But giving more students access to college classes is not enough, say some who work with poor and first-generation college students. They are more likely to graduate if they have academic support and involvement in campus life, said Sara Melnick, deputy director of the National College Access Network.
Advocates say online education has potential, Melnick said, but “they want to see it before they believe it.”
For the Oakland Military Institute, the courses meant a major investment: With more than 700 students in grades 6 through 12, the school had to devote much of its computer lab space, equipment and staffing to online courses for the roughly 45 students taking the Udacity courses. A donation paid for the course fees.
Answering questions and keeping students on task consumed much of his time, said Omar Solache, a computer teacher with two other job titles. A second teacher was assigned to help ease his load.
“They’re so used to having teachers right there with them,” Solache said.
Despite the bumpy start, students said they found the experience interesting and worthwhile.
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