[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-587612-105":59,"doc-detail-587612-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":123,"head_meta":125,"extra_data":127,"updated_unix":129},105,"en","defining-distance-education-in-policy-differences-among-federal-state-and-accreditation-agencies","Defining \"Distance Education\" in Policy - Differences Among Federal, State, and Accreditation Agencies","","Policy definitions of “distance education” often diverge across federal, state, institutional, and professional accreditation agencies, creating definitional ambiguity and inconsistent interpretations. This review focuses on how those definitional difficulties generate compliance challenges for higher education institutions, increase reporting and tracking burdens, and elevate risks for students. Using sampled policies rather than an exhaustive list, the paper highlights meaningful variations and their potential consequences, including aid-related outcomes and accreditor sanctions.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/defining-distance-education-in-policy-differences-among-federal-state-and-accreditation-agencies/587612/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/defining-distance-education-in-policy-differences-among-federal-state-and-accreditation-agencies/587612.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"นรินทร์","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-10","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":24},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"Why do policymakers and institutions have trouble using the term “distance education” consistently?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"Multiple agencies use different definitions or apply the same concept differently, which creates confusion and conflates meanings across policy and oversight contexts.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"What is the purpose of this review paper?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"To highlight the challenges and risks associated with navigating multiple sources of “distance education” definitions in policy, including how compliance management can become complex and potentially harmful to students.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"What risks arise from noncompliance or misreporting distance education data?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"Institutions may face consequences such as loss of access to student financial aid, repayment of aid, accreditor sanctions, and increased costs from tracking and reporting under different definitions.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},587612,1792252388,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":24,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":144,"read_time":145,"preview_page_count":4},2336475104957,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/22000c4c6bd8a5076e1?x-image-process=image/resize,m_fixed,w_180,h_180&k=1787554080175789136","Defining \"Distance Education\"in Policy:  \nDifferences Among Federal, State, and Accreditation Agencies  \nAuthor:  \nKathryn Kerensky, Director, Digital Learning Policy & Compliance, State Authorization Network, WCET  \nContributing Authors:  \nRuss Poulin, Executive Director, WCET & Vice President for Technology-Enhanced Education, WICHE  \nVan Davis, Chief Strategy Officer, WCET  \nvs .....   \nSTATE AUTHORIZATION NETWORK  \na division ofWCET  \nwcet  \nINTRODUCTION  \nOnline learning, hybrid learning, correspondence education, hyflex learning, blended learning, distance education. These terms and many more have been used by institutions, scholars, policymakers, accreditors, and more to describe the variety of course delivery options that are available today. These terms may often be used interchangeably or in ways that conflate their meaning. This creates a lack of clarity and understanding. The definitions of these terms have important policy implications as institutions must manage multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions and interpretations from regulators and accreditors.  \nThis paper reviews the definitions of just one of these terms, distance education, as it is the most commonly used in policy references. There are an increasing number of terms (e.g., hybrid, blended, hyflex) used to describe the use of digital instructional tools. The focus on the definitional difficulties in policies for this one term serves as an indicator of how difficult oversight and compliance can become when additional terms come into play.  \nThe purpose of this review is to highlight how, with so many sources of distance education definitions and related compliance requirements, compliance management is not only a substantial task but could potentially cause confusion to a number of stakeholders, and ultimately a risk to students. The review includes a sampling of policies and is not an exhaustive list, however the sample does include definitions from federal, state, institutional accreditation agencies, professional accrediting agencies, and other national sources. There are additional state and local cases beyond those included, but this paper highlights some of the more significant variations.  \nThe purpose of  \nthis review is to  \nhighlight the challenges and risks associated with navigating multiple sources  \nof \"distance education\"definitions in policy.  \nCONTENTS  \nIntroduction ... 1  \nAuthors, Copyright, and Resource Information ... 2  \nA Background on Legal and Regulatory Compliance in Higher Education ... 5 A Review of Distance Education Definitions ... 7  \nThe Differences and Challenges ... 15 What's Next? ... 20  \nAppendix 1-Table of Percentages ... 23 Appendix 2-Modes of Learning Spectrum ... 25 Contact and About ... 26  \nAUTHORS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS  \nAuthor:  \nKathryn Kerensky  \nDirector, Digital Learning Policy & Compliance, State Authorization Network, WCET  \nContributing Authors:  \nRuss Poulin Van Davis  \nExecutive Director, WCET Chief Strategy Officer  \nVice President for Technology-Enhanced WCET  \nEducation, WICHE  \nCOPYRIGHT AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES  \nFor related resources, see [https://wcet.wiche.edu/practice/digital-learning-definitions/](https://wcet.wiche.edu/practice/digital-learning-definitions/)  \nFor inquiries or more information [contact](contact wcetinfo@wiche.edu)[ ](contact wcetinfo@wiche.edu)[wcetinfo@wiche.edu](contact wcetinfo@wiche.edu). This work is licensed under a  \nCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.  \nWhy does this matter? What is the impact?  \nHigher education is a highly regulated industry, with institutions from all sectors navigating legal and regulatory requirements from the state and federal level, in addition to standards and guidelines from institutional and programmatic accreditors, and internal institutional policies and procedures.  \nEvery agency may apply a different definition for the same concept of distance education, which presents complications","cbCaiuguFwhOsX8U","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiuguFwhOsX8U","pdf",2941100,28,"English","# Introduction\n## Background and Purpose\n# Authors, Copyright, and Resource Information\n# A Background on Legal and Regulatory Compliance in Higher Education\n# A Review of Distance Education Definitions\n# The Differences and Challenges\n# What's Next?\n# Appendix 1-Table of Percentages\n# Appendix 2-Modes of Learning Spectrum\n# Contact and About","[{\"question\":\"Why do policymakers and institutions have trouble using the term “distance education” consistently?\",\"answer\":\"Multiple agencies use different definitions or apply the same concept differently, which creates confusion and conflates meanings across policy and oversight contexts.\"},{\"question\":\"What is the purpose of this review paper?\",\"answer\":\"To highlight the challenges and risks associated with navigating multiple sources of “distance education” definitions in policy, including how compliance management can become complex and potentially harmful to students.\"},{\"question\":\"What risks arise from noncompliance or misreporting distance education data?\",\"answer\":\"Institutions may face consequences such as loss of access to student financial aid, repayment of aid, accreditor sanctions, and increased costs from tracking and reporting under different definitions.\"}]","Defining \"Distance Education\" in Policy - Differences Among Federal, State, and Accreditation Agencies | PDF",1792062366,71]