Distance Education Policy
Distance Education (DE) uses one or more types of technology to deliver instruction to students who are separated from the instructor and to support regular and substantive interaction between the students and the instructor synchronously or asynchronously.
All programs offered by Columbia College via distance education (and/or hybrid) are comparable in content, faculty, and resources to those offered in residence (in-person). All courses/classes include regular student-faculty interaction by computer (either through Zoom meetings, email interaction and/or discussion boards on CANVAS, which is the College’s learning management system).
Purpose and Scope
This policy is written to ensure that Columbia College complies with the provisions of the United States Federal High Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), Public Law 110-315, concerning the verification of student identity in distance education, as well as other regulations/policies about student and instructor interaction and/or distance education in general, from the state, accrediting agency, and federal level (Department of Education).
Compliance
All credit-bearing courses and programs offered through distance learning methods must verify that the student who enrolls/registers for a distance education course or program is the same student who submits assignments, exams, etc., and completes the course or program and receives academic credits/hours.
One or more of the following methods must be used:
- A secure login and pass code;
- Proctored examinations; and/or
- New or emerging technologies and practices that are effective in verifying the student
Secure Login and Password
Students are either sent a course invitation to their email so he/she can create his/her own username and password, or a username and password are provided by program staff to access CANVAS.
All methods of verifying student identity in distance learning must protect the privacy of student information.
Personally identifiable information collected by the College may be used at the discretion of the institution and in compliance with applicable state and federal laws, as is the basis for identity verification.
Responsibility
All users of CANVAS shall maintain the security of usernames and passwords, and this information must not be shared or given to anyone other than the assigned user for any reason. It is against Columbia College’s policy for a user to give someone his or her password or to allow others to use his or her account. Users shall be responsible for all usage of their account.
Program directors, staff, and instructors are collectively responsible for ensuring that students comply with identity verification standards. Technology and personal accountability are not absolute in determining a student’s identity, so course assignments and evaluations are encouraged to be used to support academic integrity. Program directors and staff monitor student progress in distance education or hybrid activities; such monitoring may include frequency of logins, activity time, and the percentage of coursework completed. Student study progress is monitored equivalent to in-person classes.
Response Time Frame and Interaction
Faculty teaching distance education or hybrid courses ensure timeliness of their responses (synchronously or asynchronously) to students’ requests no more than 24 hours within the published operational schedule of the program/course.
Regular and substantive interaction between students and faculty is considered crucial for instruction. The College utilizes several methods to encourage timely interaction between students and faculty. Depending on the program, there are instructors that are assigned to offer Zoom classes to make sure that student study progress is going well and with active interaction.
There are also CANVAS discussion boards that are utilized to encourage students to write questions and comments so that they can interact with their peers and instructors (most courses have this, but there are a few courses that may not utilize this board). In addition, there is email communication between students and faculty.
Educational Objectives/Instructional Materials and Others
The educational objectives for each program are clearly defined and stated in the school catalog and student handbook. Education objectives from each course can be found in the course syllabi.
Instructional materials and technology methods are appropriate to meet the stated objectives of the program/course, and all instructional materials (i.e. syllabi, lesson plans, etc.) are reviewed and evaluated on a regular basis. The College ensures that the materials and technology methods are current and meet students’ needs.
The College implements basic online navigation of all courses or programs by providing guidelines to faculty and students. These can be found in their respective handbooks, as well as during orientation. Minimum technology requirements for faculty and students are also included in the handbooks and the school catalog.
The College also evaluates current technology infrastructure on a regular basis to ensure that it meets the demands of the programs being offered, and program staff conduct proper system monitoring on a regular basis.
Columbia College provides CANVAS training for new faculty on an individual basis and for new students during their orientation. Students have an instructor who oversees and supports their study progress. Program staff provide services for students and instructors who are experiencing technical difficulties during or after class.
