November 2015 • Vol. 4, Issue 4

HT TOPIC

Distance Education Meets Standards of the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology

  Laura Aaron, PhD, RT(R)(M)(QM), FASRT    

This article from the JRCERT is based on content previously published by the American Society of Radiologic Technologists and is used with permission of the ASRT.

Distance Education

In recent years, distance education has become increasingly common in higher education. In 2013, over 6 million students were taking at least one distance education course.1 The increase in distance education is evident in all types of educational programs, including those in the radiologic sciences. Traditionally, in radiologic sciences education, course delivery was conducted face-to-face. However, with the many recent advances in communications technology, most, if not all, programs have been able to integrate distance education into the delivery of the curriculum. Radiologic sciences programs use a variety of teaching strategies to provide instruction to students. Face-to-face, online, and hybrid courses are all utilized by programs. Distance education can be categorized in multiple ways. A frequently used method of categorization is by the mode of delivery—synchronous or asynchoronous.2 With synchronous delivery, students are involved in the course at the same time it is being delivered by the instructor; whereas, with asynchronous delivery, students are involved at times other than during the actual delivery by the instructor.

The Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) supports programs in developing and utilizing alternative learning approaches.3 To clarify its position, the JRCERT provides a comprehensive definition of distance education. Distance education is defined as:

“an educational process characterized by the separation, in time or place, between instructor and students. Distance education/delivery courses are taught primarily (more than 50%) through the use of TV, audio, or computer transmissions (broadcast, closed-circuit, cable, microwave, satellite transmissions); audio or computer conferencing; video cassettes or disks; correspondence; and/or a combination of face-to-face instruction with a distance learning component (hybrid).”3

According to the definition, a course must be delivered via distance education by more than 50% to be considered a distance education course by the JRCERT. One of the most important things to remember when integrating a distance education component into any program is to maintain the quality of the course. The features of quality for distance education are similar to those in a traditional educational setting.2 The JRCERT uses the same standards to evaluate a program’s curriculum, regardless of whether the program utilizes only traditional course delivery or integrates distance education into the curriculum.

The JRCERT standards for accredited educational programs are used to assess programs to assure the quality of educational programs in radiography, radiation therapy, magnetic resonance, and medical dosimetry. The JRCERT identifies programs offering four or more radiologic science didactic courses in the professional curriculum via distance education as “Distance Education” programs. Programs intending to offer four or more professional courses that meet the JRCERT’s definition of distance education will need to submit notification of a substantive change to the JRCERT. The change must be approved by the JRCERT Board of Directors prior to implementation.

Distance education programs are expected to be in compliance with all standards just as traditional programs are. Five of the six standards address distance education. These are the relevant standards and a discussion of how they can be applied to the distance education components of the program’s curriculum.

Standard One

Standard One addresses the integrity of a program and there are several objectives that are applicable to distance education.4,5,6,7 First, student privacy must be protected. Programs must also have processes in place to verify the identity of the students who register are indeed the ones who complete assignments and receive credit for the course. For example, secure logins for students taking online courses can be used to help protect and authenticate student identity. Additionally, programs need to publish materials to inform students of the use of distance education in the curriculum and the associated costs. Publications need to state any special requirements related to distance education.3

Standard Two

Standard Two focuses on the resources available to the program.4,5,6,7 Programs need to be sure there is administrative support in terms of an adequate number of faculty, financial resources, and the ready availability of technical support for the distance education component of the program.. Adequate student learning resources and student services must be available to support distance education. The resources and services need to be consistent with those that are provided for traditional students.3

Standard Three

Standard Three evaluates the curriculum and academic practices of the program.4,5,6,7 Several objectives in this standard are relevant to distance education. First, instruction and learning experiences need to be effective and enhance learning whenever distance education is utilized. Programs need to demonstrate that outcomes are equivalent to those obtained with traditional methods.3 Students need to receive appropriate advisement regardless of whether the program utilizes distance education. Faculty who teach in distance education should receive evaluations that reflect their use of distance education. It is important that the faculty evaluations encompass criteria related to proficiency in distance education.

Standard Five

Standard Five concentrates on the assessment practices of the program.4,5,6,7 All programs, including distance education programs, are required to evaluate student learning outcomes. Programs can conduct the required assessment in a variety of ways. For example, distance education programs may choose to compare distance education students to traditional students in their assessment plan. Alternatively, the program may decide to integrate the assessment of distance education students with traditional students. In either case, the goal is to confirm that the program is evaluating student learning outcomes irrespective of the use of distance education in the curriculum.

Standard Six

Standard Six relates to institutional and programmatic data.4,5,6,7 Objective 6.3 requires that faculty who teach for the program must be qualified for their assignments. Therefore, faculty who teach in a distance education environment should be qualified to do so. Faculty must have adequate training and professional development related to the technology employed and appropriate teaching methodology. For example, using teaching methods that are successful in a face-to-face environment may not be effective in a distance education environment.

The goal of every program is to provide a quality education that prepares students to become members of their chosen professions. The mode of curriculum delivery in any program does not change that goal. When implementing distance education or any new instructional technology or teaching methods, educators need to continue to maintain the quality of the educational program.

Laura Aaron, PhD, R.T.(R)(M)(QM), FASRT, is the director and professor of the School of Allied Health for Northwestern State University in Shreveport, Louisiana. She also serves on the ASRT Foundation Scholarship Review Committee. Aaron was an ASRT Foundation professional research grant awardee in 2004 and 2009, and she was a Stern Scholarship recipient in 2003. Currently, she serves as the chair of the JRCERT Board of Directors and can be reached at carwilel@nsula.edu.

 

References

1.  Allen IE, Seaman J. Grade level: Tracking online education in the United States. http://www.onlinelearningsurvey.com/reports/gradelevel.pdf
Published February 2015. Accessed June 11, 2015.

2.  Slimp M. Trends in distance education: What college leaders should consider. http://www.itcnetwork.org/attachments/article/1133/TrendsinDistanceEducationNov2014FINALWEBVERSION.pdf
Published November 2015. Accessed June 15, 2015.

3.  Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology. Alternative learning options: Policy statements. http://www.jrcert.org/resources/governance/accreditation-policies/10-800/
Revised April, 2011. Accessed June 11, 2015.

4.  Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology. Standards for an accredited educational program in radiography. http://www.jrcert.org/sites/jrcert/uploads/documents/2014_Standards/Standards_2014-Radiography.doc
Effective January 1, 2014. Accessed June 15, 2015.

5.  Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology. Standards for an accredited educational program in radiation therapy. http://www.jrcert.org/sites/jrcert/uploads/documents/2014_Standards/Standards_2014-Radiation_Therapy.doc
Effective January 1, 2014. Accessed June 15, 2015.

6.  Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology. Standards for an accredited educational program in magnetic resonance http://www.jrcert.org/sites/jrcert/uploads/documents/2014_Standards/Standards_2014-Magnetic_Resonance.doc
Effective January 1, 2014. Accessed June 15, 2015.

7.  Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology. Standards for an accredited educational program in medical dosimetry. http://www.jrcert.org/sites/jrcert/uploads/documents/2014_Standards/Standards_2014-Medical_Dosimetry.doc
Effective January 1, 2014. Accessed June 15, 2015.
 

Signals is a publication produced four times per calendar year by the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine for the benefit of the SMRT membership and those individuals and organizations that support the educational programs and professional advancement of the SMRT and its members. The newsletter is the compilation of editor, Julie Strandt-Peay, BSM, RT (R)(MR) FSMRT, the leadership of the SMRT and the staff in the ISMRM Central Office with contributions from members and invited participants.