Definition of the Distance Education

Title 5 defines distance education to mean instruction in which the instructor and student are separated by time and/or distance and interact through the assistance of technology. All distance education is subject to the general requirements of this chapter as well as the specific requirements of this article. In addition, instruction provided as distance education is subject to the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. § 12100 et seq.) and section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. § 794d).

Course Type Descriptions

The following definitions are pulled from the course type descriptions in SMCCCD's Webschedule:

Courses where the instructor and student are separated by distance for the entire course and can interact exclusively (100%) through the assistance of communication technology.
The course is conducted through a class website, which may include multimedia material and links to other online resources.
Students interact with the instructor and other students through posted class discussions, direct individual communication and assignments (which may include group work).
Testing may be done online, via proctoring arrangements, or other means.
Instructors require no mandatory on-campus meetings. If an instructor wishes to incorporate on-campus meetings into the course, the instructor must also provide for alternative distance education means of student participation.

Courses that substitute a portion of face-to-face instructional hours with online work.
The course may have some regularly scheduled on-campus meetings without alternative distance education means of student participation.

Face-to-face instructional time is not replaced by online instruction. However, course materials may be made available to students at least in part online, and the learning support and office hours may be provided at least in part online.
This mode of delivery does not require separate approval by the Curriculum Committee.