BREAKING EVEN WITH ONLINE EDUCATION - The early allure of online education's potential to save, and even to make institutions money has largely been replaced by a current awareness of the costs and risks involved. Yet data about the costs and returns of online education is still scarce, and it is difficult to make projections based on evidence and experience.

Six recent studies commissioned by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation CLICK: http://www.sloan.org add significantly to the small body of research on the subject. The studies examine the costs and profitability of modest online programmes at six publicly-funded U.S. universities: Drexel University http://www.drexel.edu, Pace University http://www.pace.edu, Pennsylvania State University http://www.psu.edu, the Rochester Institute of Technology http://www.rit.edu, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign http://www.uiuc.edu and the University of Maryland University College http://www.umuc.edu All six studies concur that online education programmes are neither making - nor losing - a great deal of money, and that the best-case scenario is often merely breaking even.

The studies also agree that whether an online programme is making or losing money depends very much on how costs and revenues are defined and how thoroughly expenses can be reckoned. While direct costs are very easy to identify, indirect costs are often hidden or unknown; in fact, some of the study researchers say that the list of potential costs is "never-ending and, in the final analysis, unknowable." Commentary and summaries of the studies' findings are available from the Chronicle of Higher Education at CLICK: http://chronicle.com/free/v47/i23/23a04101.htm (from NETWORKING ISSN 1206-9450 vol. 5, no 4 21 Feb 01)

DEGREES BEHIND BARS - A new pilot program will help inmates prepare for life on the outside, say officials at Maryland's Correctional Education Program for maximum security inmates. Dr. Ray Harbert, one of the program's organizers says that being isolated from digital technology for years poses a serious handicap for prisoners granted parole or release. 90% of the inmates will eventually be released. Twenty four newly installed Gateway Pentium III computers will provide contained content, not allowing for "real time" access. Each day, online content and eMails will be downloaded to the prison server before the Internet connection is terminated. The prison server will upload completed coursework to one of six area campuses that offer online degrees. Security is of the utmost concern of prison officials. (Baltimore Sun, 12 Feb 01)

NEW ED SEC LIKES ED TECH - Proponents of technology in education believe that new Secretary of Education Roderick Paige is an ally. As superintendent in Houston, Paige led efforts to bring computers and the Internet into schools. Under Paige, the Houston Independent School District networked more than 300 locations with T1 Internet connections, and the district is now working on establishing a fiber-optic network. The district's administration improved its efficiency by using computer-based procurement and student-data systems, and the district has implemented computer and Internet training for teachers and runs a help desk. Some educators, however, worry that Paige might abandon the eRate program, which has been largely responsible for wiring the nation's public schools - including those in Houston - for a program that favors block grants. Educators fear that, if states receive education funds in a block, they will be less likely to spend the money on technology. (Wired Online, 6 Feb 01 - Edupage 7 Feb 01)

NEW ADMINISTRATION PROPOSES TO SHIFT RESPONSIBILITY FOR K-12 TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMS TO THE STATES - While the Bush administration's recent education agenda, "Transforming the Federal Role in Education So That No Child is Left Behind," focuses at the K-12 level, it could also provide opportunities for higher education institutions having teacher training programs, especially those that are already partnering with schools. The new administration's plan proposes consolidating the federal government's 87 teacher training programs, including the Class Size Reduction program and the Eisenhower Professional Development program, "into performance-based grants to states and localities. Using these funds, they will have the support and flexibility necessary to improve academic achievement through such initiatives as providing high-quality training for teachers that is grounded in scientific research. In return, states will be held accountable for improving the quality of their teachers." Read the complete proposal on the Department of Education website at CLICK: http://www.ed.gov/inits/nclb/part5.html (E-NEWS from UCEA 7 Feb 01)

"NEW MEDIA" CAREERS ON THE HORIZON? - The needs of the new economy are stimulating an increased number of courses in Web site design and Web animation, areas that students agree are key to finding jobs. Some educators, however, question this trend because of the current dotcom shakeout. College officials at the colleges offering the courses acknowledge that rarely do students complete the entire curriculum, rather they learn needed skills and turn in-school internships into full-time jobs. (Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan 01)