The popularity of learning online has continued to increase. What was once primarily a method for offering courses to students at a distance has become available for resident students of large enrollment classes. Hybrid courses, which involve replacing some class sessions with online activities, provide flexibility of scheduling for both students and faculty, while maintaining some of the face-to-face interaction.

Penn State Online is the administrative structure that represents the various mechanisms for online course delivery, which include the Penn State World Campus , the e-Learning Cooperative , and the Blended Learning Initiative , as well as Web courses offered at individual campuses.

Several groups on campus have expertise in the design and development of online courseware, including:

• eLearning , College of Agricultural Sciences
• eLearning Institute , College of Arts and Architecture
• John A. Dutton e-Education Institute , College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
• Leonhard Center , College of Engineering
• Office of Learning Initiatives , College of Information Sciences and Technology
• Research, Instruction, and Information Technology (RIIT) Group ,
  Smeal College of Business

This list is not extensive as more groups are springing up around the University to contribute to specific e-learning efforts.

Quality Matters is a model for assessing and assuring the quality of online courses. Penn State maintains an institutional subscription to the The Quality Matters online assurance program. For more information on the Quality Matters and training opportunities at Penn State, please contact Lawrence C. Ragan at 814-863-3114 or lcr1@psu.edu.

• The Sloan Consortium (Sloan-C)
  Helps learning organizations improve online programs
• Illinois Online Network
  Seeks to promote and build the foundations for online enhanced education
• University of Wisconsin hybrid learning website