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PURPOSE:
The purpose of this policy is to describe the principles and practices that will ensure the quality of
distance education programs at Creighton University.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
The following five categories address the three major educational components of a distance education
program and the two support issues related to offering that program at Creighton University. The educational component categories are:
 Learning Goals and Content Presentation
 Interactions
 Assessment and Measurement.
The enabling support categories are:
 Instructional Media and Tools, and
 Student Support and Services
Within each category a number of principles are defined. These principles are intended to provide
guidance to departments that develop a distance education program.
Category I. Learning goals and content presentation
The identification and articulation of learning goals and objectives provides the foundation for the
instructional design, development, delivery, and assessment of a distance education program/course.
These goals serve as the contract between the instructor and student, defining what is to be taught and
what is to be learned. Communicating these learning goals is a crucial step in assuring an effective
learning experience. Although the planned learning goals need not be altered for delivery via distance
education, new instructional design and delivery strategies may need to be developed to support the
intended outcomes.
Principle 1.1. Learning goals should be defined as part of an instructional design plan. Once
defined, they should be publicly available and communicated clearly and explicitly to the student in
whatever manner suits the design model - in print, face to face, or via a Web site.
Principle 1.2. Specific instructional activities should be directed toward providing students with
the necessary skills, knowledge, or experiences to meet the goals and objectives of the course. The
course content should be sequenced and structured to enable students to achieve the goals
articulated in the learning outcomes.
Principle 1.3. Evaluation of student performance should be directed toward the measurement and
assessment of the defined learning goals, just as these goals provide the basis for the selection of
instructional learning strategies.
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Principle 1.4. Support for instructional design and development should include a wide range of
services for faculty in the creation and preparation of instructional materials for delivery via
distance education.
Principle 1.5 The mode of instructional delivery should be appropriate to the course learning
goals and to the ability of students to achieve course learning goals through that delivery
mechanism.
Category II. Interactions
When learners interact with one another, with an instructor, and with ideas, new information is acquired,
interpreted, and made meaningful. Such interactions form the foundation of a community of learners. If
students feel they are part of a community of learners, they are more apt to be motivated to seek solutions
to their problems and to succeed. The challenge for faculty using distance education is to design into the
instructional situation strategies and techniques for establishing and maintaining “learning communities"
among students separated by space and/or time.
Principle 2.1. Effective learning environments should involve frequent and meaningful interactions
among the students, among the instructional materials, and between the student and the instructor.
When instructional technologies are employed as part of the educational program, the interface
between the student and technology should also be considered.
Principle 2.2. Social interactions between students enrich the learning community and should be
encouraged and supported throughout the instructional design of educational programs.
Principle 2.3. The use of electronic communications technologies should be considered as a tool for
creating and maintaining the learning communities for students at a distance. These technologies
may also support active and collaborative learning activities.
Principle 2.4. Distance education programs should employ creative solutions to fulfill the objectives
traditionally achieved via residency requirements: interaction among faculty, students, and peers
beyond direct instruction; access to advising and academic support services and resources; and
socialization in the field of study.
Principle 2.5. To help reduce barriers to establishing social relationships, students should be afforded
the opportunity to build confidence and competence with the distance education paradigm and
supporting technologies.
Category Ill. Assessment and measurement
Assessment and measurement serve valuable purposes for both instructors and students because they
provide information on student progress, they measure achievement of learning goals, and they provide
students with bench-marks for monitoring their progress and adjusting their learning strategies. In a
distance education model, assessment and measurement become even more critical in the absence of the
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face-to-face interactions which enable instructors to gauge student response, feedback, and progress
toward goals. Creativity in design and approach to assessment and measurement strategies can serve both
the instructor and the student in the distance education setting.
Principle 3.1. Assessment instruments and activities should be congruent with the learning goals and
should be consistent with the skills required of the student throughout the distance education
program.
Principle 3.2. Assessment and measurement strategies should be employed as integral parts of the
learning experience - enabling students to assess their progress, to identify areas for review, and to
reestablish immediate learning or lesson goals.
Principle 3.3. Assessment and measurement strategies should accommodate the special needs,
characteristics, and situations of the distance education student.
Principle 3.4. Distance students should be provided ample opportunities and accessible methods for
providing feedback on the instructional design of the distance education program.
Principle 3.5. Assessment information should be reviewed to determine if the program/course is
achieving its stated goals. If necessary, the assessment information may be used to refine the
program/course to better achieve the stated goals.
Principle 3.6. Appropriate assessment support mechanisms should be in place to ensure assessment
will occur.
Category IV. Instructional media and tools
Instructional media and supporting software tools have enabled distance faculty to address the two
primary barriers to distance education: the student's feeling of remoteness and isolation, and the time it
takes to complete an instructional transaction. Although the promise of new and emerging technologies
continues to be realized, sound instructional design practices need to maintain the proper focus on the
educational process. The media selection and application process should be driven by a thorough analysis
of the role of the instructional media and supporting tools in achieving the learning goals, an understanding of the impact of the use of technology, and careful consideration of the characteristics of the
distance student. All technology used adds a cost to the system. To the student, this cost is reflected in
increased access costs to technology. To the delivery system, this cost is seen in increased student support
needs. To the instructor, these costs may be reflected in increased program development and delivery
resources.
Principle 4.1. The selection and use of instructional media and tools should be based upon their ability
to support the pre-determined learning goals and objectives of the program.
Principle 4.2. The selection of instructional media and tools should reflect their accessibility to
students. A distance education program should incorporate a technology base that is appropriate for
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the widest range of students within that program's target audience.
Principle 4.3. The selection of instructional media and tools should reflect a thorough analysis and
understanding of the “added value” of that technology.
Principle 4.4. Students and faculty who use a distance education system should be adequately prepared
and supported in order to maximize the capabilities of instructional media and tools.
Principle 4.5. The design of programs delivered via distance education should reflect the diversity of
potential students. Distance students bring varied social and cultural backgrounds and diverse
experiences to a distance education situation. The unique contexts in which students live and work
may influence the way they think about and use instructional media.
Principle 4.6. Distance education program design should use the instructional design approach to
guide the selection and application of media and tools. A wide range of technologies, both
electronic and non-electronic, may be used to deliver content, support interactions, and provide
student access to instructional and administrative resources in a distance education program.
Principle 4.7. Contingency strategies should be planned that will enable a quick recovery from
technology-related interruptions when the distance instructional design model relies on some component of electronic technology for delivery.
Category V. Student support systems and services
Among the most important components in the design of distance education programs are those that
establish the organizational and administrative infrastructures to ensure that such programs can be
efficiently and effectively developed, managed, and executed. The student support systems and services
required to establish and maintain an effective distance education experience must be as complete, as
responsive, and as customer-oriented as those provided for the on-campus student. In most cases, these
services may be the only link the student has with the institution apart from the instructional activities.
In order to achieve this goal, alternative support methods must be employed to ensure that no distance
student is significantly inconvenienced or barred from receiving the services required. Since distance
students have widely varying access methods available to them, redundant systems should be in place for
many support functions. The overall support system should address, at the least, the following areas:
technical support, instructional resources, faculty development, instructional design and development, and
policy changes aimed at creating an environment conducive to distance education.
Principle 5.1. A comprehensive system of technical support services should be in place to ensure the
effective use of technologies in distance education programming for students, instructors, and staff.
Principle 5.2. Faculty should have access to adequate support and development services in the areas of
applied instructional technology and effective distance education methodology.
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Principle 5.3. Support systems should be designed to provide technical support service for faculty and
students participating in distance education programs twenty-four hours per day, seven days a
week. If this is not initially feasible, it should be a goal of the program to provide this level of
support.
Principle 5.4. Regular feedback mechanisms should be designed and implemented to assess the
success and failures of the various support systems created for the distance education system.
Principle 5.5. Extending the distance education mission of Creighton University requires policy
adjustments and accommodations for supporting the distance education instructor and students.
This includes, but is not limited to, such services and functions as those provided by the offices of
Admissions, Registrar, Financial Aid, Library, Bookstore, Counseling and Psychological Services
and Career Services.
PLANNING, COLLABORATION AND APPROVALS
Departments that plan to develop a distance education program are expected to utilize existing university
approval reviews to obtain authorization to offer the program. Some approvals may also require
authorization from a regional and/or a professional accrediting organization. Departments planning a
distance education program are expected to collaborate with other campus departments to ensure that
adequate services and support are available for the distance student, for the faculty and for the program.
Accurate cost information on these services and support will need to be factored into the pricing of the
program.
GUIDING PRACTICES
Colleges or Schools contemplating the development of a distance education program are expected to
incorporate the guiding principles into their plan. In addition, the guiding procedures noted in the section
on Practices should be addressed.
Practices
1. A program considering a distance education methodology will be expected to follow existing review
procedures for approval of a distance education program.
a. After approval has been given by the University, authorization will need to be received from the
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and may be necessary from a state agency
and/or another accrediting association.
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2. Distance education program proposals should clearly state the learning goals of the program and each
course as a part of the instructional design plan, as well as the specific instructional activities and how
they relate to the learning goals.
3. The proposal should clearly state the expected nature and frequency of interactions between a distant
student and the faculty member(s), and among the students, and how those interactions will be
structured into each course.
4. The proposal should describe the assessment instruments and activities that will be used to measure the
learning goals and explain how the assessment practices will achieve the principles listed in Category
III (above).
5. The proposal shall describe:
a. the proposed mode of distance education
b. the technology needed to support the program
1. the cost of the technology
2. the funding source
c. the technology and/or equipment that the student will need to provide
1. how the skills/readiness of the student will be measured
2. the expected cost of the course and equipment to the student
d. the nature and level of technical support that will be provided to faculty and to students
e. contingency strategies to deliver instructional content, in the event the primary delivery system
does not work
6. Support systems and services available to faculty and distance education students shall be described in
the proposal. These include:
a. A description of the specific support services available to students in the distance education
program.
b. Easy to use and regular feedback mechanisms about the support systems.
c. A description of support for faculty in developing and implementing distance courses in the
program.
d. Evidence of consultation with other departments on campus that will be expected to provide
support for the program.
7. A program budget. This shall include all program revenue and expenses.
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8. A rationale statement about why the program should be delivered in a distance education mode. This
should include an analysis of the costs/benefits to students, the program and the University.
CONCLUSION
The principles and practices articulated in this document address the design and development of a quality
educational experience for distance education students. Although not all-inclusive, they provide a
foundation from which to ensure that the integration of emerging technologies and the adoption of new
pedagogical strategies in distance education programs supports the mission and maintains the quality of
the educational programs to which Creighton University is committed. The structure of three principal
categories reflecting the educational process, followed by two categories that address enabling support
systems, further supports the premise that "good teaching is good teaching," and technology is an
instructional tool.
Changing demographics, as well as new technologies and methodologies, enable the University to
rethink how to deliver its academic programs. These changes also force us to re-examine the influence
of time, location, and pace of study as indicators of quality instruction. The delivery system is secondary
to the type of interactions and intellectual engagement that the system provides both the student and the
instructor. These guiding principles and practices encourage us to focus on the true mission of any
educational system, improving the knowledge base of students while prompting a marked and
sustainable change in their behavior.
NOTE – The principles in this policy were adapted from an article by Lawrence C. Ragan, Good Teaching is Good
Teaching: An Emerging Set of Guiding Principles and Practices for the Design and Development of Distance
Education, in Cause/Effect, Vol. 22 No. 1, 1999.