I appreciate the Sun Journal’s attention to the potential for online college education (editorial, March 9.) I teach both online and blended (50 percent online) classes for USM-LAC and promote this delivery mode among my colleagues as a way to make college more accessible to nontraditional students.

I want to also emphasize there are several caveats to success in this type of teaching and learning, both found from research and my personal experience.

Class size must be limited so students have effective interaction with professors and peers; students must have opportunities for active, applied, interactive projects to maintain their engagement and have positive learning outcomes. Not all students are self-disciplined enough or have the college-level writing and critical thinking skills to succeed in this system. Many need more preparation and diverse ways of learning than provided by many online programs.

There also must be prompt and thorough feedback to students and high expectations of required two-way communication, for students to learn anything.

These are required in face-to-face classes. My concern is about programs that have little of the above, yet are sold as college-level programs. They’re not, and do not result in graduates with the knowledge and skills we (and employers) need and expect. So, buyer beware (I’m speaking to both students and employers).

Otherwise, let’s move to develop more quality online and blended learning programs in Maine, and create more college-prepared citizens for the work force and civic lives.

Betty Robinson, Auburn