A new bill aims to help students at California's public universities get access to overcrowded courses.
 
The bill authorizes a faculty panel to approve up to 50 online courses that meet academic standards, taking into account factors like opportunities for student-teacher interaction. Students could then get academic credit for online classes taught by outside providers.

Senate President Pro Tem Darrel Steinberg says technology is changing education and the state needs to help students get access to classes they need.

"If we don't get out front and shape it and make sure that we focus on quality and on faculty leadership," Steinberg said, "then it's going to happen anyway, and it probably will happen in ways that at least run the risk of diminishing quality."

Many details of the scheme, like how much the courses would cost, still aren't clear and will be hammered out as the bill makes its way through the legislature.