A focus on the NCAA approval process

by Kim Loomis

Online content and tools are regularly used in the nation’s K-12 classrooms. Schools and districts use many different deployment methods, often lumped into a single category of ‘digital learning.’ However, not all programs are created equal in the eyes of the ever-watchful National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which is concerned when schools develop what it calls “non-traditional” learning programs. Thus, it is important to note the various types and degrees of digital learning environments that are being offered to students and the extent to which the NCAA requires approvals of these courses.

The table below attempts to describe the various digital learning deployment programs, in degrees from non-traditional fully online learning, to the traditional classroom’s utilization of digital content (e.g. content area instruction) and tools (e.g. productivity software and apps) to enhance student success and engagement.

In one of this month’s Digital Learning Collaborative’s Conversations in Digital Learning podcasts, Nick Sproull of NCAA provides additional information about NCAA’s process and what they look for in each course that they review. In the podcast, Nick talks about what is not eligible as well as identifies the elements they are not reviewing. Look for the podcast to post in the next week or so!

About the Author

Kim Loomis has 20 years of experience in digital learning; she recently retired as the Director of Digital Learning in Nevada’s Clark County School District, the 5th largest in the nation, where she provided leadership in the growth of digital learning in the K-12 setting, from teacher training, school admin consultation, secondary course development, software and systems contracting, to designing deployment models.