Florida universities strive to meet demands of online student surge - KIMBERLY MILLER, Palm Beach Post

Half of Florida's 294,000 university students in 2007 took at least one class online, an increase of more than 300 percent during the past decade, and a number that is likely to grow higher as gas prices soar. The numbers, which were released in a recent report exploring the role of distance learning at Florida's 11 universities, surprised some state officials and showed the increased demand for courses that differ from traditional classroom pedagogy and schedules.