Changes in Distance Education

REPORTING SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE – HOME • TEMPLATES • SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE PORTAL  •  NURSE ADMINISTRATOR CHANGE  •  PROGRAM OUTCOMES  •  DISTANCE EDUCATION  •  CURRICULUM  •  PROGRAM TYPES/OPTIONS  •  ENROLLMENT   •  LOCATIONS  •  CHANGE IN STATUS  •  MISSION/GOVERNANCE  •  CONTRACTS/CONSORTIA   •  CLOSINGS/INACTIVATIONS  •  TEACH-OUTS  •  NON-SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES

CHANGES IN DISTANCE EDUCATION

Distance education is defined by the ACEN as an educational method of delivery in which instruction occurs when a student and instructor are not in the same place. This includes synchronous and asynchronous delivery.

Distance education includes:

  • Hybrid delivery (face-to-face and distance education)
  • Online Delivery
  • Delivery via distance technology (e.g., videoconferencing)

Templates for Reporting: Distance Education (50% or greater) (.docx)

When to Report

Although the ACEN defines distance education as any teaching/learning experience that occurs when the faculty and the students are not in the same physical location; the determination about the need to submit a substantive change is based on an analysis of the percentage of distance education employed by the program in each individual nursing course. In order to determine if a substantive change is required, the following information is needed:

  1. A list of all nursing courses, including the number of credit* hours awarded for each course.
  2. A breakdown of the total credit* hours awarded for each nursing course by component: didactic, laboratory, and clinical/practicum.
  3. A determination whether each nursing course is delivered using distance education, which would include classroom, laboratory, simulation, or clinical.
  4. If a hybrid method of delivery is used for the nursing course, the program will need to determine the credits of the nursing course delivered via distance education.
  5. The total number of nursing credit* hours for the courses delivered via distance education is then divided by the total number of nursing credit* hours in the program of study to determine the percentage of distance education used by the program.

If 50% or greater of the total nursing credit* hours are delivered via distance education, the substantive change submission will be a Procedure 1 review.

*Use the number contact hours for “contact hour” programs.

EXAMPLE

Nursing Course

Total Course Credit* Hours

Didactic Credit* Hours: Method of Delivery

Laboratory Credit* Hours:

Method of Delivery

Clinical Credit* Hours:

Method of Delivery

Total Credits Delivered by DE

Physical Assessment

6 Credit Hours

4 Credit Hours:

F2F Delivery

2 Credit Hours

F2F Delivery

Not Applicable

0

Intro to Nursing

2 Credit Hours

2 Credit Hours: Online

Not Applicable

Not Applicable

2

Nursing 1

8 Credit Hours

4 Credit Hours:

Hybrid Delivery

(2 Credits F2F; 2 Credits Online or Virtual)

2 Credit Hours:

Hybrid Delivery

(1 Credit F2F; 1 Credit Online or Virtual)

2 Credit Hours:

F2F Delivery

3

Nursing 2

10 Credit Hours

6 Credit Hours:

Hybrid Delivery

(3 Credits F2F; 3 Credits Online or Virtual)

2 Credit Hours:

F2F Delivery

2 Credit Hours:

F2F Delivery

3

Nursing 3

10 Credit Hours

6 Credit Hours:

Hybrid Delivery

(3 Credits F2F; 3 Credits Online or Virtual)

2 Credit Hours:

F2F Delivery

2 Credit Hours:

F2F Delivery

3

Nursing 4

10 Credit Hours

4 Credit Hours:

Online or Virtual

1 Credit Hour:

F2F Delivery

5 Credit Hours:

F2F Delivery

4

Total Credit Hours for all Nursing Courses:  46 Credit Hours

Total Credit Hours for all Nursing Courses Delivered DE: 15 Credit Hours
  • In this example, five of the six nursing courses use some form of distance education.
  • The total credit* hours delivered via distance education is 15.
  • Therefore, this program delivers 33% (15/46) of the nursing courses via distance education.
  • This program would NOT need to submit a substantive change report because it is offering less than 50% of the number of nursing credit* hours via distance education.
  • Using this same curriculum plan, if all of the didactic credit hours and four of the laboratory or clinical credit hours were offered via distance education, this program would be offering 65% (30/46) via distance education. In that case, the program would submit a substantive change report for 50-100% of the nursing credits being offered via distance education.

NOTE: Once approved for distance education, the program may offer up to the approved amount of nursing credit hours via distance education; the program is not required to offer the approved amount.  

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