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JRCERT Update

Standard 2 assignments and receive credit for the course. For
Standard 2 focuses on the institutional commitment example, secure logins, passcodes, and proctored exams
and resources available to the program. Programs for students taking online courses can be used to help
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must ensure adequate administrative support in terms protect and authenticate student identity.
of number of faculty, financial resources, and the avail-
ability of technical support for the distance education Standard 6
component of the program. Adequate student learn- Standard 6 concentrates on the assessment practices
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ing resources that support the achievement of student of the program. All programs, including distance
learning outcomes and program goals, including education programs, are required to evaluate student
classrooms, laboratories, and online platforms, must learning outcomes. Programs can conduct the required
be available to support distance education. In addition, assessment in a variety of ways. For example, distance
students who enroll in distance education courses must education programs might choose to compare distance
have access to student services. Resources and services education students to students in traditional classrooms
should be consistent with those provided for students in their assessment plan. Alternatively, the program can
who enroll in traditional courses. 2 decide to integrate the assessment of distance educa-
tion students with students in traditional classrooms.
Standard 3 In either case, the goal is to confirm that the program
Standard 3 refers to the faculty and staff of the pro- is evaluating student learning outcomes irrespective of
gram. Program faculty are expected to be qualified for the method used to deliver curriculum.
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their assignments. Faculty must have adequate training
and professional development related to the technol- Conclusion
ogy employed and to the teaching methodology. For The goal of every program is to provide a quality
example, using teaching methods that are successful education that prepares students to become members
in a face-to-face environment might not be effective in of their chosen professions. The mode of curriculum
a distance education environment. Program officials delivery in any program does not change that goal.
and faculty should provide sufficient oversight of the When implementing distance education—or any new
distance education components to assure effective- instructional technology or teaching method—educators
ness. In addition, faculty who teach distance education are required to maintain the quality of the program.
courses should receive evaluations that reflect their use
of distance education methods and technology. Faculty
evaluations should encompass criteria related to profi- Leslie Winter, MS, R.T.(R), serves as chief executive
ciency in distance education. officer for the Joint Review Committee on Education in
Radiologic Technology.
Standard 4
Standard 4 evaluates the curriculum and academic References
practices of the program. Instruction and learning 1. Undergraduate enrollment. National Center for Education
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experiences should be effective and enhance learning Statistics. Published May 2022. Accessed July 13, 2022. https://
whenever distance education is used. Programs must nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cha
demonstrate that outcomes are equivalent to those 2. Alternative learning options: policy statements. Joint Review
Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology. Revised
obtained with traditional teaching methods. Students April 2022. Accessed July 13, 2022. https://www.jrcert.org
2
should receive appropriate advisement regardless of /accreditation-policies/alternative-learning-options/
whether the program includes distance education. 3. Slimp M. Trends in distance education−what college lead-
Most importantly, student privacy must be protected. ers should consider: a white paper from the Instructional
Technology Council delivered to the American Association of
Programs also must have processes to verify that the Community Colleges Commission on Academic, Student, and
students who register are the ones who complete Community Development. Instructional Technology Council.

RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY, May/June 2023, Volume 94, Number 5 389
Reprinted with permission from the American Society of Radiologic Technologists for educational purposes. ©2023. All rights reserved.