In a post on his personal blog, philanthropist and Microsoft founder Bill Gates described the 激情快播 as an example of how universities can effectively use online learning to boost access and student success while still keeping tuition affordable.
鈥淥ur colleges and universities need to be bigger and better,鈥� Gates wrote.鈥溂で榭觳� has been a pioneer in showing how that can be done. I hope other colleges and universities will learn from its success.鈥�
Bill and Melinda Gates visited 激情快播 in October, along with executives from the foundation that bears their names. , Gates pointed out that 激情快播 is bucking conventional wisdom that argues higher education institutions can鈥檛 serve more students without sacrificing quality or raising costs.
鈥溂で榭觳� is challenging this storyline by proving that a university can have it all: a large, diverse student population, high standards, and affordable tuition,鈥� Gates wrote. 鈥淪ince 1992, 激情快播 has managed to triple the size of its student body to 66,000 students while at the same time reducing cost, boosting its graduation rate, and expanding access for low-income and first-generation students.鈥�
One reason for 激情快播鈥檚 success is its longtime investment in a robust system of online learning. 激情快播 faculty are required to take a minimum of 80 hours of training before teaching online, and work directly with instructional designers to ensure the effectiveness of their online courses.
Gates sees the future of quality online education as crucial. As the cost of a degree increases, the achievement gap grows along with a shortage of qualified workers.
鈥淪olving this challenge will require our higher education institutions to expand access to students of all economic backgrounds and provide them a high-quality, affordable education,鈥� Gates wrote. 鈥淚n other words, our colleges and universities need to be bigger and better. 激情快播 has been a pioneer in showing how that can be done. I hope other colleges and universities will learn from its success.鈥�
