(A) Continuing education course
criteria.
(1) The appropriate
specialty sections shall approve a course of study or program of instruction
offered for continuing education purposes within the curriculum pursuant to
this rule only if the training agency has been approved by the administrative
section and the training agency submits the nonrefundable fees as set forth in
rule 4101:16-2-09 of the Administrative Code. No training agency may conduct
the course of study or program of instruction for credit unless the
administrative section has approved that training agency and the course has
been approved by the appropriate specialty section.
(2) If the training
agency fails to submit its course application as set forth in this rule, the
specialty sections may not consider such application at its next regular
scheduled meeting. The training agency shall submit its application for a
course approval not less than sixty calendar days nor more than one year prior
to the date of the course or program offering. No application for a course of
study or program of instruction for continuing education shall be approved by
the appropriate specialty section unless such course or program meets the
curriculum as defined in this rule. The application shall be on forms
prescribed and furnished by the appropriate specialty section.
(3) Online or
computer-based courses.
(a) For purposes of this chapter, "online or computer-based
courses" means any e-learning, online, electronic, computer-based, or
similar course or program that is designed to teach or educate using electronic
media of some form, typically employing the use of the internet. "Online
or computer-based courses" does not include courses offered on VHS, DVD,
or similar non-interactive media.
(b) Online or computer-based courses will only be approved in
accordance with paragraph (A)(5) of this rule, but shall not account for more
than half of the continuing education hours required for license renewal for
each licensee.
(4) The appropriate
specialty section, when acting upon an application for approval of a course of
study or program of instruction, will consider, but not be limited to, the
following criteria:
(a) The application shall contain the following:
(i) Name, address, email
address, facsimile, and telephone number of the training agency;
(ii) The policy regarding
attendance and the procedure used for record keeping of
attendance;
(iii) The date(s),
location, and time that the course/program will be offered;
(iv) Name, address, email
address, facsimile, telephone number, and occupation of proposed
instructors;
(v) Résumé
of the proposed instructors detailing their experience and qualifications and
the résumé of any alternate proposed instructors;
(vi) The content of the
course/program;
(a) Title of the
course/program;
(b) Educational objective
of the course/program;
(c) Textbooks and student
materials prescribed;
(d) Outline or syllabus
that contains a brief description of the course/program; and
(e) Duration of time of
the course/program.
(vii) Sample of the
proposed advertising or written notice of the course/program;
(viii) Fee for
course/program;
(ix) A description of the
physical facility in which the course or program of instruction is offered,
unless the course or program is online or computer-based; and
(x) Such other
information as the appropriate specialty section may request.
(b) The suitability of the physical settings of the programs
offered by the training agency, unless the course or program is online or
computer-based;
(c) Demonstrated adherence to specialty section rules,
procedures, and standards; and
(d) The electronic and technological capacity of the training
agency to provide the appropriate specialty section with attendance
information, course information, and any other information the specialty
section deems necessary to be received electronically.
(5) In addition to
considering the criteria set forth in paragraph (A)(4) of this rule, the
appropriate specialty section, when acting upon an application for approval of
a course of study or program of computer-based or online instruction, shall not
approve the course/program unless it also complies with the following
criteria:
(a) The course is designed to assure that participants are
actively engaged in the instructional process while completing the course by
utilizing techniques that require participant interaction with the computer
program;
(b) If in each unit of instruction there is no activity
from the participant after thirty minutes of instruction time, the course will
shut down and the participant will have to begin from the beginning of the
unit;
(c) The provider utilizes procedures that provide
reasonable assurance of participant identity and that the participant receiving
the continuing education credit for completing the course actually performed
all of the work required to complete the course; and
(d) The provider utilizes a clock or timer on each screen
that accurately records the course completion time to ensure course time equals
the amount of continuing education credit hours received.
(B) No course of study or program of
instruction will be approved by the specialty sections of the board in which
classroom instruction exceeds ten classroom hours of instruction in any one
day.
(C) The approval of a course of study or
program of instruction is valid for one year. Provided that the training agency
renews, or the administrative section approves the renewal of a training
agency, then the approval of a course of study or program of instruction by
that agency shall be valid for one year unless such training agency fails to
renew or the administrative section does not approve the renewal of the
training agency.
(D) Instructors, seminar and conference
leaders, lecturers, and others who present materials at a course or program
must have five years of full-time experience in a profession, trade, or
technical occupation in the subject matter being taught. In addition, no
continuing education course will be approved if an instructor of a proposed
course is a local or state inspector and the instructor's participation
would create a conflict of interest as opined by the Ohio ethics commission
advisory opinion 98-005.
(E) Upon approval of a course of study or
program of instruction by the appropriate specialty section, the section shall
notify the training agency of the approval.
(F) An instructor may receive continuing
education credit for the number of unduplicated subject matter hours
instructed.
(G) An approved training agency shall
provide the appropriate specialty section with a roster of attendees of a
provided course or program within fourteen calendar days of completion of the
course or program. The roster shall be provided to the appropriate specialty
section by a posting on the Ohio construction industry licensing board website
in a manner and form prescribed by the appropriate specialty section or via any
other means of electronic transmission that the appropriate specialty section
deems appropriate. The roster shall contain any information the appropriate
specialty section deems appropriate.
(H) An approved training agency shall
notify the appropriate specialty section in writing, within fourteen calendar
days of the date of an approved course offering, of any cancellation or changes
to the course date, time, or location of a course or program. If the training
agency is proposing to change the content of a course or program or an approved
instructor with an instructor that has not been approved for the course or
program, the training agency shall comply with paragraph (K) of this rule
before such course or program shall be offered.
(I) Any member of the Ohio construction
industry licensing board or their designees may attend a course or program
being offered by an approved training agency in order to determine whether the
course or program is being conducted in accordance to approved guidelines and
procedures established in this rule.
(J) Any training agency that fails to
comply with this rule or rules 4101:16-3-01 and 4101:16-3-02 of the
Administrative Code may be disapproved or not renewed. Any training agency that
has been disapproved or not renewed may appeal the administrative
section's decision pursuant to Chapter 119. of the Revised
Code.
(K) If the change to the approved
course/program materially alters the contents of the course/program initially
approved by the specialty section, or if an approved instructor(s) is not
available to teach the course or program, the training agency may not hold that
course/program if the training agency receives approval for the changes from
the appropriate specialty section.
