The purpose of this policy is to:
- Ensure student success through meaningful, instructor-led engagement in distance education courses that are clearly distinguished from correspondence courses.
- Support Lane Community College’s commitment to academic quality, integrity, and equitable learning.
- Ensure compliance with U.S. Department of Education (DoE) regulations and Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) accreditation standards.
- Maintain Lane Community College's eligibility for federal financial aid.
At Lane Community College, distance education courses provide students with regular and substantive interaction (RSI) with the instructor teaching the course, in compliance with U.S. Department of Education regulations and Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) accreditation standards.
Distance Education: Education that uses one or more of the technologies listed below this definition to deliver instruction to students who are separated from the instructor or instructors and to support regular and substantive interaction between the students and the instructor or instructors, either synchronously or asynchronously.
The technologies that may be used to offer distance education include:
The Internet;
One-way and two-way transmissions through open broadcast, closed circuit, cable, microwave, broadband lines, fiber optics, satellite, or wireless communications devices;
Audio conference; or
Other media used in a course in conjunction with any of the technologies listed above.” (34 CFR 600.02, USDE, 2020)
Instructor: a human responsible for delivering course content who meets the qualifications for instruction.
Substantive Interaction: involves engagement between instructors and students that contributes to student learning, such as personalized feedback, meaningful discussions, and direct instruction.
“Engaging students in teaching, learning, and assessment consistent with the content under discussion, and also includes at least two of the following:
1. Providing direct instruction
2. Assessing or providing feedback on a student's coursework
3. Providing information or responding to questions about the content of a course or competency
4. Facilitating a group discussion regarding the content of a course or competency
5. Other instructional activities approved by the institution's or program's accrediting agency” (Distance Education Policy, NWCCU, 2021)
Regular interaction is defined as predictable, scheduled, and timely communication/feedback to support student progress in achieving course learning outcomes.
Monitoring students' academic engagement: Systematic assessment of student participation, interaction with course materials, and comprehension of course outcomes.
Promptly and Proactively: Sufficiently timely to align with course expectations and meet student needs for learning and engagement.