3 4
ABFSE policy stipulates that the Accreditation Standards apply equally to all curricular content regardless of 5
the method of delivery. Distance Learning offerings must meet these same Standards in addition to meeting 6
requirements of the U. S. Department of Education (see items preceded by an asterisk). These offerings also 7
need to be evaluated with additional considerations in mind. The following document (Appendix E of the 8
Accreditation and Policy Manual) lays out these considerations.
9 10
Background 11
12
The eight regional accrediting commissions guidelines and Best Practices developed in response to the emergence of 13
technologically mediated instruction offered on-campus and at a distance are designed to address “concerns that 14
regional accreditation standards are not relevant to the new distributed learning environments, especially when those 15
environments are experienced by off-campus students.” The Best Practices are not new evaluative criteria or 16
standards but rather they are “designed to assist institutions in planning distance education activities and to provide a 17
self-assessment framework for those already involved. For the regional accrediting associations they constitute a 18
common understanding of those elements which reflect quality distance education programming. As such they are 19
intended to inform and facilitate the evaluation policies and processes of each region.”
20 21
Preface 22
23
The ABFSE Standards were originally written when all programs required that students attend courses on campus for 24
most or all of their program. With the advent of instruction by the various modes, students are increasingly able to 25
complete significant portions of their degree programs off campus without face-to-face interaction. As this mode of 26
academic program delivery proliferates, it is imperative that accreditation agencies develop standards which will help 27
ensure that all distance learning programs are consistent with the role and mission of the institution and that they 28
receive academic and administrative support to a similar degree as all other institutional programs.
29 30
Therefore, based on the work completed by the regional accreditors, a draft set of guidelines was developed for the 31
consideration of the ABFSE Committee on Accreditation at their October, 2000 meeting. Following that meeting, the 32
COA requested comment from the accredited programs and other appropriate constituencies.
33 34
At the meeting of the COA in Clearwater Beach, Florida, in April 2001, the Committee approved the following 35
Guidelines as Appendix E of the Accreditation and Policy Manual. It is intended that they be used by institutions in 36
planning the use of distance learning strategies and for the assessment of distance learning once implemented. The 37
Guidelines are in the form of questions which allow the institution or program to respond in a manner appropriate to 38
that institution or program.
39 40
Each program/institution which offers one or more courses via Distance Learning formats must specifically address 41
that course or courses independent of its discussion of other courses. That discussion must proceed on two levels.
42
First, as each Standard is discussed, specific reference must be made to how the Standard is met by the Distance 43
Learning offering(s). Second, the Self study must demonstrate how each element in the Guidelines is satisfied for 44
each course offered via Distance Learning.
45 46
The Self study discussion and the Visiting Committee Report relative to Distance Learning offerings will assess to 47
what extent the courses and the educational services offered in support of Distance Learning are structured in a 48
manner that recognizes the distinction between traditional on-campus students and those taking courses via Distance 49
Learning methodologies with regard to admissions, registration, academic advising, tuition and fee payments, 50
bookstore services, library services, testing security, etc.
51 52
The Self study discussion and the Visiting Committee Report relative to Distance Learning must also assess academic 53
support for faculty (e.g., faculty training of online course development, access to computer equipment, online support 54
GUIDELINES and REQUIREMENTS 1
A. Sponsorship 2
3
1. Does the e-learning program have the approval of the appropriate institutional decision-making body?
4 5
B. Organization and Administration 6
7
1. Does the organizational structure of the institution enable it to address at least the following:
8 9
a. is instructional and technical support adequate?
10
b. does any marketing plan address the needs of the target population?
11
c. are training and support available to participating instructors and students?
12
d. is compliance with copyright law ensured?
13
e. do distance learning courses and programs meet institution-wide standards?
14
f. in the institution’s organizational documentation, is there a clear and integral relationship between those 15
responsible for distance learning programs and the mainstream academic structure?
16 17
C. Aims and Purposes 18
19
1. What is the evidence that the program is consistent with the role and mission of the institution, including its 20
goals with regard to student success?
21
2. Is the institution fulfilling its stated role as it offers the program to students at a distance or is the role being 22
changed?
23 24
D. Administrative Practices and Ethical Standards 25
26
1. If services are outsourced, how is their integrity and reliability assured?
27 28
E. Finance 29
30
1. How is the student assured that the program will be sustained long enough for the cohort to complete it?
31
2. How are distance learning programs included in the institution’s overall budget structure?
32
3. What are the institution’s policies concerning the establishment, organization, funding, and management of 33
distance learning programs? Do they reflect ongoing commitment to such programs?
34
4. Does the institution’s budget plan provide for appropriate updating of the technologies employed?
35
5. Is the staffing structure appropriate and fully qualified to support the distance learning program?
36 37
F. Curriculum 38
39
* Institutions are required to have processes to establish that the student who registers in a distance education 40
course or program is the same student who participates in and completes the course or program, and receives the 41
academic credit.
42 43
* Methods which may be used to verify student identity are secure logins and pass codes; proctored examinations;
44
and other new technologies and practices. These methods will be requested on the Annual Report each year, and 45
verified during team visits to the institution.
46 47
* Institutions are expected to use processes that protect student privacy, and notify students of any projected 48
additional student charges associated with verification of student identify at the time of registration or enrollment.
49 50
1. When a student or instructor proceeds from one course or program to another, is it necessary to learn another 51
software program or set of technical procedures?
52
2. When new software or systems are adopted, what programs or processes are used to acquaint instructors and 53
students with them?
54
3. Are the intended students likely to find their technology costs reasonable?
55
E-2 56
4. Given the rapid pace of change in modern information technology, what policies or procedures are in place to 1
keep the infrastructure reasonably up-to-date?
2
5. What provisions for instructor-student and student-student interaction are included in the program/course 3
design and the course syllabus? How is appropriate interaction assured?
4
6. Is instructor response to student assignments timely? Does it appear to be appropriately responsive?
5
7. How successful is the program’s interactive component, as indicated by student and instructor surveys, 6
comments, or other measures?
7
8. Do course and program schedules reflect an appropriate commitment to the program’s students?
8
9. Do budget, faculty, and facilities assignments support that commitment?
9
10. When examinations are employed (e.g., paper, online, demonstrations of competency, etc.), do they take place 10
in circumstances that include firm student identification?
11
11. How are the conditions of examinations (security, time limits, etc.) controlled?
12 13
G. Faculty 14
15
1. What are the academic qualifications of those responsible for curricular decisions, assessment, and program 16
oversight?
17
2. Does the institution have well-developed policies to address such issues as workload, compensation, 18
intellectual property rights, and faculty evaluation for those faculty teaching using distance learning 19
technologies?
20
3. Have these decisions been made in accordance with institutional or system processes customarily used to 21
address comparable issues?
22
4. What support services are available to those responsible for preparing distance learning courses or programs?
23
5. Do participating faculty members consider these services to be appropriate and adequate?
24
6. Does the staff include qualified instructional designers? If so, do they have an appropriate role in program and 25
course development?
26
7. What orientation and training programs are available?
27
8. Is adequate attention paid to pedagogical changes made possible and desirable when information technologies 28
are employed?
29
9. Do those involved consider these orientation and training programs to be appropriate and adequate?
30 31
H. Library 32
33
1. How are library services provided to distant learners?
34
2. Are there special orientation programs for distant learners?
35 36
I. Students 37
38
1. What are the institution’s policies concerning articulation and transfer? What are the decisions regarding 39
transfer of academic credit based upon?
40
2. Is a help desk function realistically available to students during hours when it is likely to be needed?
41
3. Is help available for all hardware, software, and delivery systems specified by the institution as required for the 42
program?
43
4. Does the help desk involve a person-to-person contact for the student? By what means (e.g., email, phone, 44
fax)?
45
5. Is there a well-designed FAQ service online and/or by phone menu or on-demand fax?
46
6. How are students notified of program requirements?
47
7. If the institution relies on other providers to offer program-related courses, what is the process by which 48
students learn of these courses?
49
8. Is the total program realistically available to students for whom it is intended?
50
9. Prior to admitting a student to the program, does the institution inform the prospective student about:
51
a. required access to technologies used in the program;
52
b. technical competence required of students in the program;
53
c. estimated or average program costs;
54
d. the time frame in which courses are offered;
55
g. arrangements for interaction with the faculty and fellow students;
1
h. the potential challenges of learning in the program’s technology-based environment; and 2
i. the estimated time for program completion?
3
10. Are appropriate services available for students of distance learning programs, using the working assumption 4
that these students will not be physically present on campus, including 5
a. accurate and timely information about the institution, its programs, its courses, its costs, and related 6
policies and requirements;
7
b. pre-registration advising;
8
c. application for admission;
9
d. enrollment/registration in programs and courses;
10
e. financial aid, including information about policies and limitations, information about available 11
scholarships, processing of applications, and administration of financial aid and scholarship awards;
12
f. secure payment arrangements;
13
g. academic advising;
14
h. tutoring;
15
i. career counseling and placement;
16
j. training in the use of library resources and in research techniques;
17
k. bookstore service (ordering, secure payment, and prompt delivery of books, coursepacks, course-related 18
supplies and materials, and institutional memorabilia);
19
l. ongoing technical support, preferably offered during evenings and weekends as well as normal institutional 20
working hours;
21
m. referrals for student learning differences, physical challenges, and personal counseling?
22
11. What strategies and practices are implemented by this institution to involve distant students as part of an 23
academic community? By their statements and actions, do administrators and participating faculty members 24
communicate a belief that a sense of academic community is important?
25 26
J. Program Planning and Evaluation 27
28
1. What process resulted in the decision to offer the program?
29
2. By what process was the program developed? Were academically qualified persons responsible for curricular 30
decisions?
31
3. How does the institution review the effectiveness of its distance education programs to assure alignment with 32
institutional priorities and educational objectives?
33
4. How is student performance evaluated?
34
5. How does evaluated student performance compare to intended learning outcomes?
35
6. How is overall program effectiveness determined in such areas as 36
a. the extent to which student learning matches intended outcomes;
37
b. the extent to which student intent is met;
38
c. student retention rates, including variations over time;
39
d. student satisfaction, as measured by regular surveys;
40
e. faculty satisfaction, as measured by regular surveys and by formal and informal peer review processes;
41
f. measures of the extent to which library and learning resources are used appropriately by the programs’
42
students;
43
g. measures of student competence in fundamental skills such as communication, comprehension, and 44
analysis;
45
h. cost effectiveness of the program to its students, as compared to campus-based alternatives?
46
7. Does the institution’s ongoing program of assessment and improvement cover the essential categories of 47
improved learning outcomes, retention, use of resources, and service to core constituencies?
48
8. What are the administrative and procedural links between the evaluation of distance learning programs and the 49
ongoing evaluation of all academic programs?
50
9. How are the respective characteristics of campus-based and distance learning programs taken into account?
51
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
APPENDIX F
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9
10
11