Faculty new to teaching online may not be aware of the myriad federal policies that impact online education. This session is an overview of the most important federal policies that impact the delivery of online education including accessibility, regular and substantive interaction, and the difference between correspondence and distance education.
Faculty new to teaching online (and even those who have some experience) may not be aware of the myriad federal policies that impact online education. Attention to these policies is critical both for the success of any online course as well as for ensuring that institutions remain in compliance with federal regulations, including those that govern Title IV eligibility. In the recent rapid transition from face-to-face to remote instruction, the Department of Education indicated that it would waive a number of distance education related regulations. And even though some of those waivers have been extended through December, attention to federal regulations, especially those related to accessibility and regular and substantive interaction, are critically important in assuring pedagogical quality as well as regulatory compliance. Attendees in this session will:
- Understand the most important current federal regulations related to distance education including:
- accessibility (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act),
- the difference between correspondence education and distance education,
- regular and substantive interaction, and
- state authorization regulations.
- Understand recent updates to Department of Education’s waivers and/or implementation of federal distance education regulations.
- Review of recently adopted distance education regulations, especially any new definitions of distance education, regular and substantive interaction, and correspondence education.
- Facilitate the development of collaborative responses to federal regulations that participants can use in designing and delivering online instruction.
The session will incorporate a combination of didactic and interactive interactions. Session speakers will provide ample time to both answer participant questions as well as facilitate the development of collaborative solutions that address federal regulatory requirements. Participants will leave the session with resources that summarize federal distance education regulations as well as a list of sources for further reference.