Online Initiative Not the Answer to STEM Gaps in California

A proposed budget by California's governor would allocate $10 million to set up a new online "intersegmental" higher education initiative. The project would fund competitive grants for intersegmental teams of faculty to create new and redesign existing STEM courses — both online and hybrid — in a program titled the "California Education Learning Lab." However, state analysts aren't keen on the idea.

Jerry Brown's proposal stipulates that teams would need to have faculty representation from at least two of the three public higher education segments in the state — the University of California system, the California State University system and the California Community College system. The courses they'd develop would be required to include learning science and adaptive learning technologies. The overall goal: to increase college STEM participation, persistence and completion rates of historically underrepresented groups of students.

While the Legislative Analyst's Office found Governor Brown's goal of improving student outcomes "laudable," this approach isn't the answer, the office wrote in an analysis of the proposal. First, the analysis noted, the proposal doesn't address "the root causes of STEM disparities among student groups"; and second, it overlaps with other online initiatives already underway.

Among the funding the state already provides to the three institutional segments are these online projects, according to the report:

  • The community college system received $20 million for an online education initiative that covers faculty training to help design online courses; a common technology platform for delivering online courses; and the Online Education Initiative (OEI) Course Exchange, a pilot that helps students find, enroll in and get credit for online courses delivered by other colleges that are part of the exchange.
  • California State received $10 million specifically to fund development of online course in lower-division subjects with high enrollment demand.
  • The University of California system received $10 million for funding development of online undergraduate courses that any UC student can access. So far, that initiative has resulted in the creation of 250 online and hybrid courses.

The lab idea doesn't address the underlying gaps in STEM outcomes, according to the analysis. Those are a result of many factors, among them: a higher level of attendance at K-12 with less qualified math and science teachers; less access to advanced STEM courses in high school; lack of exposure to STEM role models and mentors; and perceptions of an unwelcoming academic culture in science and math departments.

"Given these underlying causes, it is unclear how the Governor's proposed program would achieve its stated goals in a meaningful way," the analysis pointed out. For that reason, the office recommended that the California legislature reject the proposal. The budget for 2018-2019 is expected to be passed sometime this summer.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • young man in a denim jacket scans his phone at a card reader outside a modern glass building

    Colleges Roll Out Mobile Credential Technology

    Allegion US has announced a partnership with Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) and Denison College, in conjunction with Transact + CBORD, to install mobile credential technologies campuswide. Implementing Mobile Student ID into Apple Wallet and Google Wallet will allow students access to campus facilities, amenities, and residence halls using just their phones.

  • A Comprehensive Guide to the Best Value Evaluation Systems

    Choosing the most cost-effective evaluation system requires balancing price, usability and insight quality. In a landscape full of digital tools and data demands, it is important to prioritize platforms that deliver clear results without complicating operations.

  • laptop with digital productivity and calendar symbols

    September 2025 Tech Tactics in Education Conference Agenda Announced

    Registration is free for this fully virtual Sept. 25 event, focused on "Overcoming Roadblocks to Innovation" in K-12 and higher education.

  • computer monitor with a bold AI search bar on the screen

    Google Reimagines Search with AI Mode

    About a year after launching AI Overviews in its flagship search offering, Google has announced broad availability of AI Mode in Search.