The California Virtual Campus exCEL program offers online classes to enrolled students lacking a class due to unavailability at their college.

Students can do this through the Exchange Cross Enrollment Link or exCEL program.

Currently, Foothill and De Anza College are the only participating colleges in the ExCEL program.

Annie Nguyen, 19, animation major said, “exCEL program sounds great. There are not enough foreign language classes on campus and this program will help me complete my degree on time.”

She is unable to get into two Korean classes offered on campus because of limited availability.

“I am aware about the exCEL program,” Khoa Nguyen, Counselor, MPS program said. “It is a good initiative for students to finish their degree, but it requires self motivation and dedication like any other online course.”

Nguyen said he understands the benefits of online education as it saves time.

He is in the process of completing his PhD online in industrial and organisational psychology.

According to the 2019 Online Education Trends Report, one of the most significant trends in online student demographics are students with disabilities, English language learners, underrepresented minorities and economically disadvantaged students.

Mark Sherby, computer information systems professor who has been teaching classes online for the past 25 years, said online classes should utilize learning tools.

“Institutions should use videos in online classes,” said Sherby. “It brings the best of both worlds and makes interactive learning different.”

He said he suggests that face to face classes are better but not practical because of traffic, working schedules and distance from campus.