Universities and Colleges that are cramped for space and want to reduce their overhead have come up with an online approach that works, Blended Courses. Instead of being 100% online where 50% of the students dropout, Universities and Colleges are compromising with most of the course online and an occasional campus class visit. What a savings? Little or no overhead, no large campuses necessary and more popular with online students.

It all comes down to motivation. Meeting with a live professor that can motivate a student is what it is all about. The basics of education still apply, engage the student and you will perk their interest and motivation. If you bore them to death in a lecture hall or online the result is the same, they drop out or fail.

The new generation of students are used to virtual campuses and Second Life is the next best thing to Blended Courses. Here students are avatars, and the Professor can be whatever avatar they want to be. They get to engage the professor and discussion takes place just like in a classroom. The only prerequisite is the student has to be a little more computer smart than the average student. It takes some experience to get used to moving your avatar around and getting it to talk, but with practice it is possible.

What is your opinion about Blended Courses and Second Life?