Distance Learning and Accreditation | Myths & Mandates — What You Need to Know

Campus Technology is hosting a free webinar on Distance Learning and Accreditation | Myths & Mandates — What You Need to Know on June 21, 2012 at 1 pm CT/2 pm ET.

There are good reasons why online exam integrity has become a critical success factor for a number of accreditation and distance education expansion initiatives. Online test integrity and student authentication issues can halt the expansion of an institution’s online program and potentially threaten its reputation and accreditation status.

Discover how the University of West Alabama and the University of South Alabama implemented a secure testing environment across its online programs and how technology solutions are a key part of their re-accreditation strategy. These solutions added security measures such as biometric identity verification and remote proctoring technologies to online learning initiatives.

Key takeaways from this presentation:

• How amendments to the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) can affect your institution’s accreditation of its online learning program(s)
• Safely securing the online testing environment, protecting the integrity of distance learning
• Additional security measures to preemptively address the future revisions to HEOA policies

Reclaiming the American Dream - Free Report

The report by the American Association of Community Colleges, Reclaiming the American Dream: A report from the 21st-Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges, is available for free PDF download online. Although the focus of the report is not on distance learning, it is about transformation and innovation at two-year institutions; topics certainly related to online learning. The report outlines the challenges facing our country and educational institutions, and the measures needed to reclaim the American dream.

From the report:

“The premise of this Commission can be summarized in three sentences: The American Dream is at risk. Because a highly educated population is fundamental to economic growth and a vibrant democracy, community colleges can help reclaim that dream. But stepping up to this challenge will require dramatic redesign of these institutions, their mission, and, most critically, their students’ educational experiences.” (AACC, 2012, p, vii)

Suggested citation:

American Association of Community Colleges. (2012, April). Reclaiming the American Dream: A report from the 21st-Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges. Washington, DC: Author. Available from http://www.aacc.nche.edu/21stCenturyReport

Free Conference on Online Learning

There is a free conference in Louisville on online learning scheduled for July 10-11, 2012: http://www.learninghouse.com/connect2012/.

From the website: "Traditionally, the Connect conference has brought educators from Learning House partner institutions together to share their experiences in developing, managing and growing online education programs.

Together, our keynote speakers and dozens of others from Learning House and our partner institutions will present the latest information regarding:

• The future of online learning
• State authorization and joint ventures
• Starting an online program from the ground up
• Student recruitment and retention strategies
• Developing and improving online courses
• And much more!

Last year, more than 100 educators attended the Connect conference, and we expect the turnout to double this year. Don’t miss this opportunity to network with colleagues from across the country at Connect 2012!"