LAYC- Career Academy Distance Learning Policy

Scenario: Online courses are becoming a driving force in formal education and it has become an
experience that most students are happy to be a part of. Online courses have made it easier for
individuals with hectic schedules to engage and further their education. The LAYC Career
Academy is an innovative model that provides youth ages 16-24 years with college credits / APstyle classes; a rigorous and flexible GED, college preparatory curriculum; and career
preparation in the healthcare and information technology fields.
The LAYC Career Academy is a school for youth ages 16-24 who want to:
Succeed on the GED, and/ or

Become a Medical Assistant or;

Become an A+ Certified Computer Hardware Technician or;

Start a college education

We envision our college pre-pathway and pathway students having the opportunity to be able to
engage in distance learning courses. Distance education will help our students be able to attend
school fulltime while at the same time work and take care of household responsibilities which
often times prevents students from fully engaging in their education due to time constrains. Our
institution could benefit from a distance learning administrator that would help our pathway
students be successful pursuing an online college education. Ideally we would form a committee
in which members of our institution would discuss what courses we would offer and what
universities we should partner with. Ultimately our goal would be to provide our students with as
many resources as possible for them to obtain a college degree and further their career.
Purpose:
The purpose of the LAYC-Career Academy Distance Learning Policy is to assure high quality in
the delivery of distance learning with regard to instruction and procedures. LAYC-Career
Academy approaches its distance learning activities with the recognition of its mission to assist
students, especially from the DMV area, in the timely achievement of their professional and
career goals. This document sets forth guidelines for courses delivered through our distance
learning program.
Accessibility: Individuals with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, interact, and
contribute in a course. Accessibility in a distance learning course is determined by the features of
the instructional technologies provided by LAYC-Career Academy and by the way that faculty
members use those technologies to create materials and design courses.

Asynchronous: - Asynchronous tools, such as e-mail and discussion board, will allow LAYCCareer Academy student and faculty to be participants and communicate without having to be
online at the same time.
Class Attendance: Attendance in distance learning courses will be determined by the active
participation of the student through the completion of class activities, such as the submission of
an assignment, completion of an exam, attendance in an online chat, or the posting of a post to a
discussion forum. Simply logging in to the course in the learning management system is not
considered attendance.
Delivery Mode: The primary method or technology used to deliver instructional information to
the student and used for communication between the instructor and the students will be the
internet.
Distance Learning: Includes online courses and is a formal educational process in which the
majority of the instruction (interaction between students and instructors and among students) in a
course occurs when students and instructors are not in the same place. Instruction may be
synchronous or asynchronous. Interaction between the instructor and the student is regular and
substantive, and can be initiated by the instructor or the student.
Academic Integrity of Distance Learning Courses: Distance learning courses are comparable
to traditional, campus-based courses in terms of course descriptions, expectations and learning
outcomes.
Instructor Responsibility: The LAYC- Career Academy instructors will be responsible for the
course content, delivery of instruction, evaluating student progress, assessing learning outcomes,
and timely communication in a distance learning course. Instructors will evaluate courses every
semester in which a particular course is taught to determine accuracy of materials.
Instructor Users Group: In addition to training and professional development for faculty
related to teaching in distance learning formats, some members of the faculty may meet
periodically to share information and discuss ideas to enhance effectiveness of courses and
quality of courses being taught.

Course Evaluation: At the end of each semester, the instructors will: Download and retain a
copy of the students grades for the course, and are encouraged to also download and retain an
archive of the complete course. Carefully review all feedback provided by students throughout
the semester and student performance on all assessments to determine if the course met
expectations. Determine if the course needs no revision, minor revision or significant revision.

References
Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2003). Teaching and learning at a
distance. Columbus: Pearson Education.
Distance Learning Policy. (2012, March 20). Retrieved November 11, 2014, from
http://www.athens.edu/policies/Operating/Academics/Distance-Learning-Policy.pdf