Distance Education
Distance Education at Del Mar College is the delivery of instruction via the Internet. Del Mar Colleges offers a wide range of courses through Distance Education. All Del Mar College students are eligible to enroll in Distance Education courses, provided they meet the required assessment levels and any prerequisites as listed in the Catalog Course Descriptions.
Prior to enrolling in a Distance Education course, students are asked to complete the Canvas Student Orientation (https://delmar.instructure.com/courses/1376908). Each course may also contain an online or on-campus orientation. For more information on a specific course, contact the Academic Department offering that course. A listing of Academic Departments can be found in the Offices and Departments section of the Del Mar College website (https://www.delmar.edu/offices). Courses are offered in online, hybrid and web-enhanced formats.
Online – A course is classified as online when 85–100% of the course content is delivered online. Some courses may require an on-campus orientation or testing.
Hybrid – A course is classified as hybrid when 50–85% of the course content is delivered online. A hybrid course blends online and face-to-face delivery.
Web-Enhanced – A course is classified as web-enhanced when the course meets in the traditional face-to-face format but uses Web-based technology to support instruction.
Students should be advised that any course may require use of a computer, computer labs, email and access to the internet or other digital resources and support software, and these requirements are not necessarily in the course schedule.
Technology Requirements
Del Mar College uses Canvas by Instructure as our Learning Management System (LMS). Online, Hybrid and Web-Enhanced classes are offered through the Canvas system. Canvas functions work best through the Google Chrome browser. Some courses use Respondus Lockdown Browser and Monitor for testing. Links for downloading Lockdown Browser, as well as Google Chrome can be located on the Help Desk section of the Del Mar College website (https://www.delmar.edu/helpdesk). Students are responsible for providing their own computers, software and Internet Service Providers or for accessing the Internet using technology available through the various learning centers on a Del Mar College campus.
Security
The security, confidentiality, and integrity of student data stored in the College's learning management system (LMS) is protected by the same secure Del Mar credentials that are used to access the College's student information system. Each student has individual secure access to their data via their secure DMC credentials based on a unique student identifier and a private password known only to the student. For all proctored exams given via the DMC Testing Center or the College's remote online proctoring solution, each student's identity is verified before the exam begins.
Date of Last Attendance
Attendance and engagement in Distance Education is important and monitored. Under federal guidelines, attendance in a Distance Education course is measured by engagement in the course. Simply logging into the class and viewing a page is not considered engagement. The Date of Last Attendance, as defined by Del Mar College and according to the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 34, Part 668.22, includes but is not limited to:
- Physically attending a class where there is an opportunity for direct interaction between the instructor and students.
- Submitting an academic assignment.
- Taking an exam, in interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction.
- Attending a study group that is assigned by the institution.
- Participating in (contributing to) an online discussion about academic matters.
- Initiating contact with a faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course.
Attendance does not include activities where a student may be present, but not academically engaged, such as:
- Logging into an online class without active participation
- Participating in academic counseling or advisement
A determination of "academic attendance" or "attendance at an academically-related activity" must be made by the institution; a student's certification of attendance that is not supported by institutional documentation is not acceptable.
Disability Accommodations
Student enrolled in Distance Education courses are eligible to receive disability services. For more information on receiving accommodations, contact the Disability Services Office at (361) 698-1292 or visit the Disability Services section of the Del Mar College website (https://www.delmar.edu/disability).
Student Success Center
Support for Distance Education Students can be accessed by visiting the Student Success Center section of the Del Mar College website (https://www.delmar.edu/offices/ssc/index.html).