MORE THAN 80 per cent of Dublin City University programmes will involve online learning by 2015, the college said yesterday.
It pledged an additional 15 new undergraduate and postgraduate programmes would be available either online or “blended” (a combination of online and face-to-face tuition) during the 2012/2013 academic year.
Alongside existing offerings, the latest announcement will bring the number of online programmes to more than 30.
A spokesman for DCU said the increased focus on blended and online education will begin to be implemented at the start of this academic year.
By 2012, over 100 staff will have taken part in specialised training in online teaching, with a further 200 expected to complete the training by 2015, he said.
As part of this online strategy, an agreement was announced between the university and Google to purchase Chromebooks for Education.
It will provide the device to students on selected programmes free of charge.
The university expressed a hope that, with the advance in prominence of online learning, greater links could be forged between themselves and foreign third-level institutions.
“Plans are also under way to collaborate more on teaching and learning initiatives with universities in India, China and the US, through online tutorials, virtual classrooms and shared best practice between students and academics,” the spokesman said.
DCU president Prof Brian MacCraith said: “It is very clear that the future of all education and higher education in particular will have a significant online dimension.
“This approach will enhance not only choices and flexibility but also the quality of the learning experience.”