Polk Colleges Adapt Cyber-Learning - Robin Williams Adams, THE LEDGER

Nationwide, the combined forces of gas prices and students' fondness for online learning are pushing many colleges and universities to re-think how they provide higher education. Like PCC, they're studying what could work better for students and instructors. The University of South Florida Polytechnic in Lakeland, USF's other campuses and Lakeland-based Southeastern University are among others seeing the impact of growing interest in online classes. John Bourne, director of the Sloan Consortium, a Massachusetts organization that studies online education, predicts gas prices will bring on "a blended classroom - half online, half in class."