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Creating Compliant Online
Courses in the Radiologic Sciences
Laurie Adams, Ed.D., RT(T)
AEIRS Annual Meeting
July 12, 2013
Objectives
• Recognize and avoid teaching a correspondence distance
education course.
• Differentiate between a fully online, partially online and a
hybrid distance education course.
• Develop a distance education course that meets
compliance requirements.
• Create assignments for distance education courses that
meet credit hour requirements.
What is Distance Education?
• According to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
• Distance education is a formal educational process in which the majority of the instruction in a course occurs when students and instructors are not in the same place.
• Correspondence education is a formal educational process under which the institution provides instructional materials by mail or electronic transmission, including examinations on the materials to students who are separated from the instructor.
The Importance of Interaction
Distance Education
Course
• Substantive interaction
exists between:
• Faculty and students
and
• Students and students
Correspondence
Course
• Instructor - student
interaction is:
• Limited
• Not regular and
substantive
• Primarily initiated by
student
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Online Education Terminology*
• Fully online –greater than 95% of class sessions are
delivered via technology
• Partially online – between 51% and 95% of class sessions
are delivered via technology
• Hybrid – at least class session but no more than 50% of
class session are delivered via technology
* Armstrong Atlantic State University definitions
(AY2012-2013)
Fully at a Distance*
• Students are physically separated from instructor.
• Instructional delivery is asynchronous and/or synchronous
• Utilize a learning management system and/or other
technologies to deliver instructor and support student
learning, regular, substantive, timely and appropriate
interaction between students and instructors and among
students.
• Courses may be augmented and supported using a myriad
of information technologies
* University System of Georgia definition
Fully at a Distance cont.
• Syllabi and course content must demonstrate instructional time
in the alternate format that is equivalent to and/or in addition to
actual hours of classroom instruction in alignment with US
Department of Education credit hour definition.
• Courses must demonstrate that the student who registers in a
distance course or program is the same student who
participates in and completes the course or program and
receives credit by verifying the identify of a student who
participates in class or coursework……
• Instructional delivery must be reviewed by the college to
ensure alignment with accreditation policies specific to the
degree being offered.
Hybrid Courses
• Hybrid courses are used to complement student learning
in face-to-face settings and are held to many of the same
policies.
• Hybrid courses may utilize a LMS and/or other
technologies to post syllabi and course materials; hold
asynchronous or synchronous discussions; online quizzes;
grade books; text and voice communication; and
assignment submission tools. Videoconferencing between
two or more sites is also possible.
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Federal Regulations
• Title IV
• Federal financial aid
• Definition of a Credit Hour
• Applies to all courses
• Section 508
• Disability accommodations
• Program Integrity Rules (U.S. Department of Education)
• Links title IV funding with requirements for accountability
What is a credit hour?*
A credit hour is an amount of work required to meet
learning outcomes along with evidence of achievement of
those outcomes.
1. Not less than one hour of classroom or direct faculty
instruction and a minimum of two hours out of class
student work each week…...
2. Alternative instructional equivalency is used for
activities such as lab, internship, practica, studio work
and other academic work leading to the award of credit
hours.
* From Credit Hours Policy Statement
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, January 2012
Alternative Instructional
Equivalencies
• Instructional activities designed to meet credit hour
requirements.
• Activities must be required of every student and
demonstrate interaction.
• Examples
• Posting
• Case studies
• Journals and blogs
• Use peer review to enhance learning.
Importance of compliance
• Financial aid
• “ Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Told to Return $42-
Million in Federal Student Aid” Chronicle of Higher Education
April 4, 2012
• Accreditation
• Institutional via Regional Accreditors
• Programmatic via JRCERT
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SACS Best Practices
• Institutional Context and Commitment
• Curriculum and Instruction
• Faculty Support
• Student Support
• Evaluation and Assessment
JRCERT concerns
• Policy 11.407A identifies the following as a substantive
change:
• iii. Addition of an alternative learning option(s) that
includes:
• Distance or hybrid delivery of four (4) or more radiologic
science didactic courses (excludes the general education
component of the curriculum)
http://www.jrcert.org/resources/governance/acc reditat ion-policies/11-400/
Section 508
• Institutions found to be non-compliant are being
successfully sued.
• Arizona State University
• Penn State University
• Florida State University
• New regulations to require website compliance are
coming soon
Section 508 tips
• PowerPoint
• Use high contrast
• Avoid animation, flashing text or images, smart art
• Use alt text to describe images
• Word documents
• Use headings and lists
• Use acceptable font styles and sizes
• Use formatting emphasis with color
• File names should contain no spaces or special characters and be as short as possible
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Section 508
• The rules apply to all courses. However…..
• If technical standards (essential functions) exist the program
may be granted an exemption of some parts of the
accommodations.
• Example, no requirement for alternative text for diagnostic
images.
• Incorporate an accessibility statement on course syllabi
Accessibility Statement
Armstrong Atlantic State University is committed to accessibility and providing
accommodations for all persons with disabilities. Students who need course
accommodations because of a disability must contact the instructor as soon as
possible to speak confidentially about the needed accommodation. Students
should also contact the Office of Disability Service since they are the designated
office responsible for approving and coordinating reasonable accommodations
and services for Armstrong’s courses. Please note that students who need
accommodations must be registered with Office of Disability Services before
requesting accommodations from the instructor.
It should be noted that this course may include website links and electronic
documents to support teaching, learning, and engagement. If any of the
website links or electronic documents are inaccessible, please contact the
course instructor immediately.
Program Integrity Rules
• Attendance verification
• Loan repayment
• Employment outcomes
• Disbursement and reimbursement of financial aid
• Satisfactory academic progress
• State authorization of distance education courses
Attendance Verification
• Required assignment or posting by the deadline set by your financial aid office (generally before the end of the first week of class).
• Ideas for compliance
• Self introduction
• Pre-test
• Syllabus review assignment
• Incorporate an attendance verification statement on course syllabi
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Crossing State Lines
• Institutions must be in compliance with state laws in all
states where distance education courses are offered in
order to receive title IV funds.
State Authorization
Reciprocity Agreement
• Commission on the Regulation of Postsecondary Distance
Education has developed a comprehensive proposal to
provide a framework for:
• interstate reciprocity with uniform standards for state
authorization
• a regional approach for governing reciprocity
• avoiding redundant requirements
• protection of consumers
Quality Matters
• The Quality Matters Program is an international organization
representing broad institutional collaboration that promotes a
shared understanding of online course quality.
• Quality Matters uses a faculty centered, peer review process to
certify the quality of online and blended courses.
• Provides rubrics to institutional members that may be used to
assess compliance in eight general standard areas.
• More information available at:
• https://www.qualitymatters.org/about
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General Strategies
• Always use the Learning Management System of your
institution
• Instructions should be clear
• Course navigation should be logical
• Technical requirements should be stated on the syllabus
• Student support options should be available
• Use rubrics whenever possible
Armstrong example Consider
• Do you want to use synchronous online requirements?
• Can you set up virtual office hours?
• Do you want to have automatic notifications of student
posts?
• Do you want to answer emails, posts etc. over the
weekend?
• How will you limit opportunities to cheat?
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Practical Examples
• Cross Sectional Anatomy
• Fully online
• Radiation Therapy Procedures
• Hybrid
• Clinical Education I
• Technology enhanced
Fully Online Course Cross Sectional Anatomy
• Attendance Verification
Getting Started Interaction
• Student student interaction
• Mandatory reply to a classmates self
introduction
• Group presentations
• Peer review assignment
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Group presentations
• Set up a discussion forum for each group.
• Students create and record a PowerPoint presentation
pertaining to one disease or disorder from assigned chapter.
• Within the PowerPoint, students must include the disease or
disorder definition, epidemiology, diagnostic workup and
radiologic images that demonstrate the chosen disease or
disorder. The radiologic images should come from different
diagnostic modalities and the anatomy should be labeled.
• The PowerPoint presentation should be built, recorded and
archived within the Collaborate classroom.
Peer Review Assignment
• Students must review a minimum of 2 other Collaborate
Presentations and contribute additional information
Peer Review Rubric Interaction
• Faculty Student Interaction
• Discussion boards
• Narrated presentation with required assignment
• Audio directions and feedback in assignment drop box
• Announcements
• Response to email
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Hybrid Course Radiation Therapy Procedures
Course Description:
Introduction to principles of patient simulation and treatment with emphasis upon radiation therapy equipment operation and utilization.
• This course is a hybrid course that includes a laboratory component. Less than 50% of classes will be replaced by an online component and most classes will meet on campus. However, all course materials and announcements will be posted within the Learning Management System. The laboratories for this course are designed to supplement the didactic information and prepare students for the first clinical course.
Course Expectations
Students enrolled in this course are expected to be active learners
and participants. Evidence of active learning includes:
• Engagement in on-campus sessions
• Engagement in online assignments
• Completing readings and watching assigned media content
• Checking the course within the learning management system
each day for announcements and emails
• Completing assignments on time
Exam Policy
• All quizzes and exams will be given online and must be
taken during the exam window. Make up exams will not
be given without appropriate documentation of technical
difficulty or proof of emergency.
• The RESPONDUS LOCKDOWN Browser must be
installed on your computer in order to access the online
quizzes and exams.
• Some exams will be taken online as part of normal class
time. These are noted on the syllabus. Others may be
taken from home or another location of your choice.
Weekly Schedule
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Assignment Technology Enhanced
Clinical Education
• Policies and procedures
• Forms
• Compliance documents
• Clinic site information
• Websites
• Equipment lists
• Instructor photos
Compliance Clinical Education Courses
• Use assignment drop box
• Electronic submission
• Timely feedback
• Use discussion boards
• Guided topics
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Assignment Dropbox Guided Topics
Clinical conferences
• Use “ virtual office” for video conferencing with students
and clinical instructors/preceptors etc.
• Address questions and/or issues of performance.
• Minimize travel to distant sites.
Resources
• Quality Matters Program • https://www.qualitymatters.org/
• State Higher Education Executive Offices Association • http://www.sheeo.org/projects/state-authorization-postsecondary-education
• Section 508 resources
• http://www.section508.gov/
• http://www.hhs.gov/web/508/accessiblefiles/checklists.html
• Journal of Online Learning and Teaching • http://jolt.merlot.org/index.html
• Compendium of distance learning resources from University of Wisconsin • http://depd.wisc.edu/html/mags3.htm
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The End