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  3. Distance Education

In addition to offering high quality, traditional face-to-face classroom learning, courses across the University use various learning technologies in different ways.

Distance education is a formal educational process in which the majority of the instruction (interaction between students and instructors and among students) in the course occurs when the students and instructors are not in the same place.

Instruction may be synchronous or asynchronous. A distance education course may use the internet; one-way or two-way transmissions through open broadcast, closed circuit, cable, microwave, broadband lines, fiber optics, satellite, or wireless communication devices; audio conferencing; or video cassettes, DVD’s and CD-ROMS if used as part of the distance learning course or program.

Distance Education

Distance education is a formal educational process in which the majority of the instruction (interaction between students and instructors and among students) in the course occurs when the students and instructors are not in the same place. Instruction may be synchronous or asynchronous.

Face-to-Face Course

In this modality, the course is taught in the traditional synchronous, on-campus format for 50% or more of the expected course seat time. Such courses may still utilize technology, such as online resources and activities, or other classroom strategies, but these activities are not meant to replace in-class seat time.

Hybrid Course

In this distance education modality, the course is taught in the traditional synchronous campus format for less than 50% of the expected course seat time.

The relationship between the online and face-to-face sessions is carefully planned to make the most use of ‘in-class’ discussions. It can provide students with a deeper understanding of the materials.

Online Course

An online course has few face-to-face meetings. If any are held, the face-to-face meetings are typically limited to orientations or capstone events. The course may include face-to-face proctored exams. Learners of an online course have little or no expectation of meeting the instructor face-to-face. The entire course is mediated by technology.

Remote Course

In this distance education modality, students and faculty meet synchronously at the same time/same day for instruction and learning via a web-conferencing tool such as Zoom.