Live Classroom and Web-Based Training Criteria Continuing Education

The course submission will undergo a thorough evaluation. All course materials (including content, design, grammar, handouts, and visual aids, etc. )will be reviewed to ensure the overall accuracy and benefit to the student.

Licensees must complete sixteen (16) hours of continuing education each reporting period

1. Current Classroom Offering: The course shall be a current course offering of the provider and be presented by traditional classroom methods. The course shall be presented in a setting physically suited to the educational activity and in a manner that allows for participant interaction and material comprehension. Facilities for live class settings shall be easily accessible and comply with all applicable state and federal laws, including the Americans With Disabilities Act.
2. Course length and content: A continuing education course shall be designed to contribute to the goal of maintaining or increasing the knowledge, skill and competence of licensees. The principal focus may not be sales, marketing, commercial lending or commercial loan brokering, motivational, or skills pertaining to running a business. Courses shall provide no less than one (1) hour of classroom instruction. In Idaho a credit hour is defined as fifty (50) minutes of accredited instruction.
3. Course Description: The syllabus must include a course description, that clearly describes the content of the course.
4. Summary Outline: The syllabus shall include a summary of major topics and the amount of time required to complete each topic.
5. Learning Objectives: The syllabus shall include specific learning objectives that are:
   • Appropriate for a continuing education course;
   • Stated clearly with regard to the expected knowledge and/or skills students should acquire by course completion;
   • Consistent with the course description;
   • Consistent with the learning/instructional materials; and
   • Attainable within the number of classroom hours allotted for the course.
6. Instructional Materials: Instructional Materials provided to the students in the course shall:
   • Adequately cover the subject matter in sufficient depth to achieve the stated course learning objectives;
   • Provide balanced coverage of the subject matter sufficient to cover the stated learning objectives;
   • Reflect current material, knowledge and practice;
   • Effectively present and explain the presented information; and
   • Be presented in a professional and clear format.
7. Examinations (Optional for Live Classroom Instruction): Course examinations shall consist of either a series of examinations or a comprehensive final examination or both. The subject matter tested by examination questions shall be adequately covered in the course instructional materials.
8. Application Package/Course Submission: Providers must submit the following:
   • A completed application for approval as a provider of continuing education courses;
   • A non-refundable application fee of $250, per course, payable to the Idaho Department of Finance;
   • Required Enclosures:
     • A complete set of materials to be used for curriculum, all teaching aids, handouts, books, pamphlets, examinations with answers, etc. Materials must be submitted in a three-ring binder. The Department will retain all materials.
     • Include a brief description of the proposed course and hours of instruction. Must include a breakdown of the amount of time required to complete each topic.
   • A signed Provider Agreement form-EDU-001-A.
   • C.E. Instructor Certification –EDU-003.
   • Resume for each proposed instructor.
   • Company history (if not included in course materials).
   • Consent to Service of Process (if not domiciled in Idaho).
   • Statement of Monitored Attendance.
   • Privacy Policy and Record Retention Statement.

   Quality and depth of content of course outline and instructional materials must be acceptable to the Director.

   Providers will be subject to a background and/or reference check.

9. Instructor Qualifications:
   • Three (3) years full time experience teaching subject matter or mortgage related topics;
   • B.A. or B.S. degree or higher in a related field to that in which the person is to teach; or
   • Any combination of at least five (5) years full time industry experience and college level education in the applicable field.
   • The Director may approve instructors who in his judgment meet the criteria for approval or who otherwise evidence their teaching combination qualifications by education or experience or a combination of the two.
10. Prohibited Practices:
    • failing to submit information in a timely manner, including but not limited to, applications and other forms prescribed by the Director, renewals, certificates, attendance rosters and course completion certificates;
    • the teaching methods or program content is materially changed without prior notice to and approval by the Director;
    • the provider/instructor granted a completion certificate to a non-course participant or failed to grant a completion certificate to a qualified participant;
    • representing in any manner that a course, instructor or provider has received approval or accreditation, or that participants will receive credit hours for attendance/completion, when no such approval or accreditation has been granted;
    • misrepresenting, circumventing or concealing, through any manner, any of the material particulars pertaining to status, content or facilitation of course offerings;
    • marketing, soliciting or selling of products or services during the instruction of any C.E. course;
    • making any type of guarantee of non-measurable outcomes (i.e. “satisfaction guaranteed”);
    • making any claim to be the only, largest, best, least expensive, or other unproven or unjustified comparison;
    • disclosing of any actual test questions or their answers.

Web-Based and Other Non-Live Classroom Criteria Continuing Education

Web-based and non-live classroom learning is defined as educational programs where instruction is obtained through use of media, and teacher and student are separated by distance. Computer based courses must employ a timing mechanism that begins once the student has logged into the system. The timer should stop after reasonable inactivity by the student. Idle time should not be greater than five (5) minutes. Criteria for this type of learning is listed below:

1. The design of the course should be to assure that students actively participate in the instructional process while completing the course by utilizing techniques that require substantial student interaction with the computer program. Course design should not be presented in a sit and read format. The course design must provide for interactive display between student and the computer. This can be accomplished throughout the training in the form of quizzes, case studies, problem solving and puzzles, that require input and feedback from the student.
2. A course should provide the opportunity for the student to assure a mastery of the subject material. This may be accomplished through requiring the student to periodically answer questions throughout the material. Mastery of a course can be determined by a successful pass rate of an examination. Students should/could be tested before proceeding to another topic. True/False responses to quizzes/tests are unacceptable. Questions should be presented in a multiple choice format. Failure to receive a successful pass rate would prohibit the student from advancing to the next level.
3. The course should be time sensitive such that every student could complete the course in at least the specified hourly increment and the provider should have a mechanism in place to assure that the student actually performed required tasks. The student must spend fifty (50) minutes interacting with the computer to achieve an hour of earned credit.
4. The instructional materials must coincide with the learning objectives.
5. Technical and instructional support should be made available to all students.
6. Information to be provided to the students prior to registration for the course. Information should consist of:
   • required fees;
   • refund policy;
   • course subject matter;
   • learning objective;
   • procedures and requirements for satisfactory course completion; and
   • hardware and software requirements.
7. Reasonable procedures should be in place by provider to assure that the student receiving continuing education credit for performing the work actually performed the work. The student certifying that he/she took the course and received no outside assistance should sign a written agreement. The signed agreement should be maintained with students’ records.
8. Examinations: Course examinations shall consist of either a series of examinations or a comprehensive final examination or both. The subject matter tested by examination questions is to be adequately addressed in the course instruction materials. Examinations may be performed online or proctored. Proctor format should not include the student’s management as proctors. This includes immediate supervisors, training staff, human resources personnel and co-workers.
9. Prohibited Practices:
   • failing to submit information in a timely manner, including but not limited to, applications and other forms prescribed by the Director, renewals, certificates, attendance rosters and course completion certificates;
   • the teaching methods or program content materially changed without prior notice to and approval by the Director;
   • the provider/instructor granted a completion certificate to a non-course participant or failed to grant a completion certificate to a qualified participant;
   • representing in any manner that a course, instructor or provider has received approval or accreditation, or that participants will receive credit hours for attendance/completion, when no such approval or accreditation has been granted;
   • misrepresenting, circumventing or concealing, through any manner, any of the material particulars pertaining to status, content or facilitation of course offerings;
   • marketing, soliciting or selling of products or services during the instruction of any C.E. course;
   • making any type of guarantee of non-measurable outcomes (i.e. “satisfaction guaranteed”);
   • making any claim to be the only, largest, best, least expensive, or other unproven or unjustified comparison;
   • disclosing of any actual test questions or their answers.
10. Application Package and Course Submission: An education provider must submit a complete copy of the course on the medium that is to be utilized along with a printed copy of all materials. Upon request, and prior to issuance of an approval by the Director, the provider must supply the necessary passwords and passcodes to enter the secured system to review the course at no cost to the Director or his representative. The course should remain accessible to the Director for review at any given time.

A PARTICIPANT WHO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES A COURSE OF ACCREDITED INSTRUCTION MAY NOT REPEAT THAT COURSE FOR CREDIT HOURS WITH THE SAME EDUCATION PROVIDER WITHIN THE SAME REPORTING PERIOD