Defining "Distance Education" in Policy: Differences among Federal, State, and Accreditation Agencies

Autor/in	Kerensky, Kathryn
Institution	WCET (WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies), State Authorization Network (SAN)
Titel	Defining "Distance Education" in Policy: Differences among Federal, State, and Accreditation Agencies
Quelle	(2023), (28 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
Schlagwörter	Definitions; Distance Education; Educational Policy; State Policy; Accreditation (Institutions); Agencies; Policy Formation; Higher Education; Educational Legislation + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Begriffsbestimmung; Distance study; Distance learning; Fernunterricht; Politics of education; Bildungspolitik; Accreditation; Institution; Institutions; Akkreditierung; Staatliche Anerkennung; Institut; Politische Betätigung; Hochschulbildung; Hochschulsystem; Hochschulwesen; Bildungsrecht; Schulgesetz
Abstract	Online learning, hybrid learning, correspondence education, hyflex learning, blended learning, and distance education are terms that have been used by institutions, scholars, policymakers, accreditors, and more to describe the variety of course delivery options that are available today. These terms may often be used interchangeably or in ways that conflate their meaning. This creates a lack of clarity and understanding. The definitions of these terms have important policy implications as institutions must manage multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions and interpretations from regulators and accreditors. This paper reviews the definitions of just one of these terms, "distance education," as it is the most commonly used in policy references. The purpose of this review is to highlight the challenges and risks associated with navigating multiple sources of "distance education" definitions in policy. There are an increasing number of terms (e.g., hybrid, blended, hyflex) used to describe the use of digital instructional tools. The focus on the definitional difficulties in policies for this one term serves as an indicator of how difficult oversight and compliance can become when additional terms come into play. [Contributing authors to this report include: Russ Poulin and Van Davis.] (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies (WCET). 3035 Center Green Drive Suite 200, Boulder, CO 80301. Tel: 303-541-0231; Fax: 303-541-0291; e-mail: wcetinfo@wiche.edu; Web site: http://wcet.wiche.edu
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01