Principles of Good Practice - December, 2002
- Updated January, 2005
The Principles of Good Practice, the cornerstone of this electronic
access to Ohio higher education, were developed to guide institutions in content
creation and delivery and to assure students that content in the OhioLearns!
catalog meets their education and professional needs. The Principles draw upon
the work of other organizations, such as the North Central Accrediting Association,
the Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education, the Western Cooperative
for Educational Telecommunications, and the Southern Regional Educational Board.
All courses and programs to be listed in the on-line course catalog have been
reviewed against the Principles of Good Practice by the offering institutions.
Institutional Responsibilities
1. The institution offering e-learning programs or courses must be accredited
by a nationally recognized accrediting body and authorized to operate in the
state where the program or course originates.
2. The institution's e-learning programs and courses also must meet the appropriate
accreditation standards and criteria.
3. The institution offering the e-learning program or course is responsible
for maintaining the quality when collaborating within a consortium.
4. These principles are applicable to all e-learning programs and courses, which
include degree or certificate programs, and credit or non-credit courses.
5. The institution offering the e-learning program or course is responsible
for reviewing educational programs and providing and ensuring continued compliance
with the OLN's Principles of Good Practice.
6. The institution will ensure that the student registered in and authenticated
to take a course is the student actually completing the work.
7. The institution will follow the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act.
8. The institution will provide systems to Section 508 of the Americans with
Disability Act.
9. The institution will provide faculty and staff development to support instructional
and technological strategies.
10. The institution will allow students the opportunity to complete a program,
once started, if the e-learning program is terminated or phased out.
11. The institution shall disseminate advertising, recruiting, and admissions
materials and resources, clearly and accurately representing the program and
the services available.
Instructional Responsibilities
Instruction and Courses
1. Academic review, approval, oversight and student outcomes are consistent
across the institution's academic offerings, i.e. learning outcomes meet or
exceed established instructional curricular standards.
2. E-learning programs and courses of study are rigorous and deep and result
in appropriate learning outcomes.
3. E-learning programs are coherent and complete.
4. E-learning provides for appropriate interaction between faculty and students
and among students. Qualified faculty provide appropriate facilitation and assessment
of e-learning opportunities.
5. Instructors comply with institutional practices for course authentication
to ensure student coursework is completed by the student enrolled.
6. Faculty, graduate students and staff avail themselves of institutional resources
about instructional strategies, pedagogies, and teaching innovations, especially
related to e-learning.
7. E-learning faculty and instructors work with instructional designers and
utilize other campus resources and ensure their e-learning offerings meet or
exceed Section 508 standards and are accessible to all learners.
8. A team approach to developing, facilitating and assessing e-learning offerings
is utilized. Team members include experts in subject and content matter, assessment,
instructional design and development, software/hardware and help desk personnel,
as well as students.
9. Faculty, graduate students, and staff follow institutional intellectual property
and copyright policies and abide by all related federal laws.
Student Support
1. The program or course provides students with clear, complete, and timely
information on the curriculum, course and degree requirements, nature of faculty/student
interaction, prerequisite technology competencies and skills, technical equipment
requirements, availability of academic support services, library resources,
financial aid resources, costs and payment policies, and rights to accommodation
based on special needs as defined in the institution's student handbook.
2. Enrolled students have reasonable and adequate access to the range of student
services and resources appropriate to support their learning as defined in the
institution's student handbook.
3. Institutions must provide students with information, assistance, and assessment
of student capability in the following areas:
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Students must have access to information about the curriculum, the course and
degree program, and the baseline technology needed for success.
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Students must have access to assistance with academics, career, admissions,
financial aid, and technology.
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Students must have access to academic assessment in the form of placement testing
and clearly stated prerequisites, and students must have access to technical
assessment to determine if students are prepared to engage in e-learning.
Assessment Practices
1. The institution or consortium agrees to evaluate annually the outcomes of
the offerings in OhioLearns!. Data collected should be used for continuous improvement
in courses, degrees and certificates.
2. The institution or consortium agrees to evaluate the effectiveness of the
e- learning programs and courses, including annual assessment of student learning,
student recruitment and retention, and student and faculty satisfaction.
3. Upon completion of the course, certificate, or program, an assessment and
documentation of student achievement should be completed.
4. E-learning courses or programs should offer equivalent academic standards
and resources as compared to courses or programs offered through traditional
delivery methods.
5. Interaction and mediation between faculty and student and among students
is required.
6. Student services, including advisement and information about admissions,
registration, scheduling and financial aid, should be an element of the annual
assessment.
