Lula's government publishes regulations for distance learning in higher education

The Ministry of Education published, this Monday 14th, an ordinance that regulates the decree on the provision of distance education in higher education .

The text, published in the Official Gazette of the Union, details the requirements for academic training and the responsibilities of professionals involved in distance learning courses.

According to the text, faculty at higher education institutions must have postgraduate training, preferably in a master's or doctoral program. Their work must be in areas related to their academic background, in accordance with the National Curricular Guidelines.

The ordinance also establishes specific attributions according to the positions:

• Course coordinator: supervise the teaching and learning processes, including practical, research and extension activities;
• Lead teacher: lead the curricular unit, coordinate pedagogical mediators and interact directly with students through digital platforms;
• content teacher: develop original teaching materials and validate content with the teaching staff;
• pedagogical mediators: in addition to having a degree in an area related to their work, they work under the supervision of the head teacher and must, among other duties, clarify students' doubts regarding the course's pedagogical project and act in the interaction between the teaching staff and students.

Another requirement is that the composition of the faculty and pedagogical mediators be compatible with the number of students enrolled in the distance learning center. Mediated synchronous activities must be conducted with the participation of groups of no more than 70 students per faculty member or pedagogical mediator.

Mandatory in-person training activities may take place at the headquarters of the higher education institution, on campuses outside the headquarters, at distance learning centers, in professional environments, in spaces for extension activities or in other learning spaces provided for in the course's pedagogical project.

Training offered partially or fully via distance learning must last at least ten weeks and include at least one mandatory in-person learning assessment.

The ordinance establishes that educational institutions will have a maximum period of two years to comply with the rules, starting from the publication of the decree regulating the offerings. However, authorization requests and course creation documents filed after the decree's publication must already follow the new guidelines.

The government decree prohibits distance learning for undergraduate programs and courses in Law, Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, and Psychology, which must be taught exclusively in person. In practice, the policy has effectively ended 100% distance learning undergraduate programs.

Distance learning undergraduate courses must offer 10% of their workload in face-to-face activities and 10% of the total course workload in face-to-face or mediated synchronous activities.