IPEDS Update: Department of Education’s Guidance on Reporting Distance Education Data – WCET Frontiers
The U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) provided guidance on how to report distance education activities during the pandemic. Whether on an emergency basis or planned for the safety of faculty and students, colleges and universities have adopted a variety of academic modality options. The Department’s explanations are welcomed help for institutional personnel trying to report in the correct categories.
The Definition Conundrum
Even in good times, some institutions have struggled with how to report on the varying definitions of distance education. Note that “distance education” is used as it is the official term used by federal, accreditation, and many state regulations. Distance education includes online education, plus other modalities such as satellite, phone, and two-way video.
Institutions are held to different definitions by the organizations to which they report:
IPEDS uses a definition in which a course or program needs to be exclusively at a distance with a few exceptions.