Section 451.285  Additional Requirements for Distance Education

For the purposes of this Section, distance education courses of instruction include those in which all or any part of the instruction is delivered via the Internet or by other electronic telecommunication media.

a)         A school wishing to offer distance education courses of instruction shall meet the following conditions:

1)         have a physical presence in the State of Illinois, which is defined as:

A)        an instructional site within the State; or

B)        offering instruction within or originating from Illinois; or

C)        using local advertising markets in the State; and

2)         meet the requirements of Section 1 of the Act and Sections 451.20 and 451.30 of this Part.

b)         For any new distance education course of instruction, the school offering the course also shall be subject to the requirements enumerated in Sections 451.270 and 451.280 of this Part.

c)         Any school proposing to offer via distance education methods an existing course of instruction that has already been approved under Sections 451.270 and 451.280 of this Part also shall meet the requirements of this Section.

d)         The school offering distance education courses of instruction shall provide to the Superintendent:

1)         a description of each distance education course indicating all of the materials, including software, necessary for course completion.  If software is to be required, then a copy of each software package shall be submitted to the Superintendent; and

2)         the definition of what constitutes a distance education lesson, including what evidence will be employed to determine when a lesson has been completed.  Such evidence could include completion of written assignments, instructor feedback, evaluations, reports, or on-line time sufficient so that the student can demonstrate progress toward meeting learning outcomes of the distance education course of instruction.

e)         Any school offering distance education courses of instruction shall:

1)         assess each applicant's ability to succeed in the distance education course as prescribed in Section 451.500(e) of this Part;

2)         ensure that students admitted possess the background, knowledge, technical skills and equipment necessary to use the technology employed in the course of instruction;

3)         provide a plan that includes a list of the infrastructure and personnel that will be employed to support the distance education courses of instruction;

4)         ensure that instructional resources, such as additional reading materials and/or hyperlinks to other Internet sites, are reliable, readily available and accessible to instructors and students;

5)         employ instructors who meet the requirements of Section 451.410 of this Part;

6)         ensure that instructors are trained to use effectively the distance education method employed;

7)         provide a sufficient level of interaction between instructors and students so that the students are likely to achieve the learning outcomes of the distance education course of instruction.

(Source:  Added at 24 Ill. Reg. 7229, effective May 1, 2000)