The Adult Education Division of the New Mexico Higher Education Department (NMHED) outlines its distance learning policy in Section IV of the Adult Education Assessment Policy.

The National Reporting System (NRS) Technical Assistance Guide defines Distance Education as formal learning activity where students and instructors are separated by geography, time, or both for the majority of the instructional period. Distance learning can be delivered through a variety of media and instructors support distance learners through a variety of communication strategies including telephone, mail, or online technologies. The Adult Education Division of NMHED requires programs to track students as distance learners if at least 50% of the instructional hours scheduled for a given class are derived from proxy hours and to assess distance learners in accordance with the Assessment Policy.

The Adult Education Division allows programs to track both Contact Hours and Proxy Hours for distance learners. Contact Hours are "synchronous" hours collected when student are in direct contact with an instructor or staff member via a video  call, phone call, or teleconference. Proxy Hours are "asynchronous" hours during which a student spends time learning new material without an instructor present. There are three models than can be used to assign proxy hours: 

1. Clock Time Model - assigns contact hours based on the elapsed time that a participant is connected to, or engaged in, an online or stand-alone software program that tracks time

2. Teacher Verification Model - assigns a fixed number of hours for each assignment based on teacher determination of the extent to which a participant engaged in, or completed, the assignment

3. Learner Mastery Model - assigns a fixed number of hours based on the participant passing a test on the content of each lesson. This method requires that a high percentage (70%-80%) of students who take the test after completing the number of hours awarded pass it. Only curricula with a validated correlation between test-taker hours and passage rate may be used under this model.

For more information on distance learning policies and requirements, review the state's Assessment Policy.

Distance learning refers to any learning where the majority of student learning occurs while students and teachers are in separate spaces. Historically, New Mexico Adult Education has provided distance learning services via ITV, mailed materials, and teleconferences, but today most distance learning occurs using online technologies. Some common terms you may see or use to describe distance learning are: 

• Synchronous means "at the same time." Synchronous learning occurs when students and instructors have a scheduled time to meet for class on Google Meets, Zoom, or another platform. 

• Asynchronous refers to learning activities that students can complete on their own time schedule. Asynchronous learning might occur while completing a Google Classroom assignment,  studying on EdReady, working on Essential Education or Burlington English, or completing other activities independently. 

• Blended/Hybrid Learning is learning that combines online and face-to-face activities to provide instruction. 

• An LMS or Learning Management System is a set of learning technologies and tools that instructors use to organize course materials in an online class. Google Classroom is the primary LMS that NMDELT supports, but other LMS options include Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, and more. 

Learning to interact online through participation in group discussions and conversations is a digital literacy skill students must practice in their distance education class. NMDELT recommends developing a "netiquette" (net etiquette) policy for your staff and students.