Some are fine, but need support services. Some cost-cutting strategies either do not work or are potentially unacceptable to accreditation bodies. Some are simply good management.
E-learning implies the illusion of proving instruction for huge numbers of students with no personal contact. However, it works best as the textbook for class sessions or if totally on-line, with individual tutor help on-line by chat room or by email. Moreover, resource development is usually very expensive.
Distance learning also implies the illusion of providing instruction for huge numbers of students with little personal contact. But personal tutoring is completely individualized, and, again, resource development is of significant cost unless off-the-shelf resources are available.
Larger classes are simply an economy of scale. The massed lecture is not a bad teaching approach, and one of the best ways to expose a large number of students to a prominent expert. On the other side of the ledger, it needs supplementary small-group sessions to ensure that real learning takes place.
Volunteers need to be on the same performance standards and accountability systems as paid staff. They should not be permitted to offer low quality work because they do it for free. Particular risks include non-punctuality, absenteeism, and sudden resignation.
Graduate teaching assistants have historically been Master students teaching first year undergraduates. It can be cheating; some colleges reduce costs by using unqualified staff, while qualified senior staff avoid teaching duties but sign off as supervisors of the course. On the other hand, it works especially well when teaching is either part of the skill they must learn or the best way to consolidate skills.
Internships have some particular cost advantages. Students learn in a real situation and can be productive. It is less costly than simulations run on campus, and might require very little in specialized training facilities. It often uses less instructor time, and students must learn fast to keep up.
On the other hand, program leaders are tempted to:
Part-time staff are helpful in covering teaching responsibilities. They show up, teach, and leave. It takes extra care to ensure that they do sufficient Professional Development, and they often leave full-time staff to carry their load of administrative work and out-of-class student support.
Core plus options. The college might offer core units for a large number of students and a variety of elective units to smaller groups. The college can offer prospective students a wider choice of specializations and the large number of students in the core units subsidizes the options.
Cyclical years If you have a three-year course, you'll probably need to offer the introductory year every year. Sort the other units into two groups (for example, A and B). Then offer group A and group B on alternate years. This means that class sizes are not only big enough to be viable, but the diversity of students is big enough to enhance their learning experience.
"Buddy" assessments are allowable but may be a risk. One organization assigned each trainee a "buddy " to be a work partner. The buddy, who had the work qualification but was not a qualified instructor or assessor, ticked the trainee off on competencies as they were observed in the workplace. Technically the buddy is probably an evidence gatherer, not an assessor, but in fact may operate as the assessor and not do a good job.