Transcript Slide 1

Hot Topics and Accreditation
Issues in Distance Education
Authentication, Substantive Change, Effective Contact
…
And Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!
Dolores Davison, Foothill College
Ginni May, Sacramento City College
Catherine Webb, Monterey Peninsula College
Topics and Questions that will be
addressed in this Breakout Session:
What is Distance Education?
 What do the Accreditation Standards say
about Distance Education?
 What is substantive change?
 Are there requirements from the US
Department of Education?
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In CCCs, distance learning continues to grow:
•2005-06: 12.48% of total headcount (unduplicated)
•2009-10: 23.54% of total headcount (unduplicated)
In US, over 6 million students took at least one
online class last year.
•Institutions indicating ‘‘Online education is critical to
the long-term strategy of my institution’’ reached its
highest level in 2011 (65.5%).
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Federal and National Concerns Expressed by ACCJC
◦ A few cases of significant institutional growth and transformation
triggered Congressional concerns with exploitation of institutions,
students
◦ Growing amount of federal student aid funds, proportion going to
private institutions and for profit institutions offering DE
◦ Financial aid fraud for which Distance Education may be particularly
suited
◦ Growing number of degree mills that operate as “distance only”
institutions leading to problems for transfer institutions, employers
ACCJC Web Seminar Spring 2012
Some of the Hot Topics:
I.Recently accelerated external
regulatory demands
A. Student authentication
B. Last date of attendance / Title IV
II. Lack of clarity and consensus
A. Categorizing distance education
B. DE or CE?
C. Whose responsibility is it?
How does the ACCJC Evaluate
Institutions regarding Distance and
Correspondence Education?
The “Guide to Evaluating Distance
Education and Correspondence
Education” published by the ACCJC
explains this:
http://www.accjc.org/wpcontent/uploads/2012/08/Guide-toEvaluating-DE-and-CE_2012.pdf
Some of the Hot Topics
(continued):
III. Substantive Change Reports
IV. Some Consequences and
Questions
Student Authentication
Academic Integrity and
Authentication
HEOA requires accreditors to require
institutions “to have processes through
which the institution establishes that the
student who registers in a distance
education course or program is the same
student who participates in and completes
the program and receives the academic
credit.”
(emphasis added)
Examples of Processes and Practices
1) College LMS
2) Proctored assessment
3) LMS log-in statement
Through the entry of my username and password I affirm that I am the student who
enrolled in this course. Furthermore, I affirm that I understand and agree to follow the
regulations regarding academic integrity and the use of student data as described in the
Student Conduct Code that governs student rights and responsibilities. Failure to abide by
the regulations may result in disciplinary action up to expulsion from the college.
4) Academic integrity in DE training
5) Plagiarism detection software
Why is it important to us???
What those looking in are looking
for:
Institutions must use:
a) secure log-in and password, OR proctored
examinations,
b) and/or new or other technologies
c) and/or practices that are developed and
effective in verifying each student’s
identification
Last date of
attendance (LDA) &
Title IV
Must document LDA
and verify “regular
and substantive
interaction” between
faculty and student
By Knterox
Who is attending
class?
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Make it clear to online teaching faculty that LMS statistics are
not enough.
Regular Effective Contact is defined and enforced
LDA policy is created and enforced that includes academic
engagement (activity).
Instructors save work of the student dropped and document
when the
activity stopped.
Institutional definition
of Excessive Absences
DE or CE?
State Definition
“Distance education means instruction in
which the instructor and student are
separated by distance and interact through
the assistance of communication technology.”
 Same course-quality standards
 Regular, effective contact
 Separate curricular review
 Federal definition not much different

ACCJC Definition
“. . .a formal interaction which uses one or
more technologies to deliver instruction to
student who are separated from the
instructor and which supports regular and
substantive interaction between the students
and instructor, either synchronously or
asynchronously.
 Technologies include internet, interactive TV,
TV, audio conferencing, video conferencing,
DVDs, CD-ROMs, etc.
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Correspondence Education
Instructional material provided by mail or
electronic transmission (including
examinations) to students who are
separated from the instructor
 Limited interaction between student and
instructor and primarily initiated by
students
 A course that is typically self-paced

(Definitions)
34 C.F.R. § 602.3
Substantive Change
The ACCJC’s “Substantive Change Manual” can found
at:
http://www.accjc.org/wpcontent/uploads/2012/09/Substantive-ChangeManual_August-2012.pdf
“Substantive” in the DE context
•
Change in the Intended Student Population (3.2.1)
E.g., Institution offers courses/programs via online delivery intended to reach students not included in
the student population described in the current mission statement
•
Addition of a Program or Courses that Represent a
Significant Departure from an Institution’s Current
Programs or Curriculum (3.7.1)
E.g., program offered in face-to-face format is now offered 100% online
•
Addition of Courses that Constitute 50% or More
of the Units Offered through a Mode of Distance
or Electronic Delivery, or Correspondence
Education (3.7.3)
E.g., Institution offers courses that make up 50% or more of the credits required for a program
through an instructional delivery that is new for the college/program
See http://www.accjc.org/substantive-change
Process and Structure
Substantive Change Manual, Section 4
• 4.1: Eligibility
• 4.2: List
of Sequential Steps
NB: Step 4 outlines sections & content to include
• 4.3: Committee
Review Process &
Potential Outcomes
Structuring the Proposal
Concise description of the proposed change
B. Description of the program (or change in delivery
mode) to be offered
C. Description of the planning process leading to the
change
D. Evidence of analysis and planning of adequate
resources
E. Evidence that required approvals have been met
F. Evidence that Eligibility Requirements will be fulfilled
G. Evidence that Accreditation Standards will be fulfilled
A.
Types of data to consider
Growth Projections
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Recent (2-5 yr.) history of distance learning
Increase in the number of courses offered online
Increase in the number of faculty teaching online
Increase in number of students taking online courses
Types of data to consider
Institutional processes
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Admissions
Orientation
Financial aid
Tutoring
Registrar Services (grades, transcript requests, etc.)
Student communication (email, portal, etc.)
Types of data to consider
Student Success/Achievement Data
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Class size
Retention and withdrawal rates
Course completion rates
Student learning outcomes data/assessment
Online success & retention data compared to face-toface
Types of data to consider
Quality Assurances
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Capability of faculty to teach online
Faculty & student support services
Integration within institutional mission
Student authentication
Faculty resources
Technical support
Questions and Concerns
For more information--ACCJC Web Seminar:
DE on the Front Burner: New Regulations,
New Challenges and Accreditation
Spring 2012
http://tinyurl.com/accjcDE
DE Coordinators’ Web Seminar Meetings
http://www.onefortraining.org/coordinato
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