Homestudy FAQs

What does “homestudy” mean?

Homestudy is defined as programming for which there is no opportunity for live interaction with an instructor. The term is used to describe continuing education that is enduring and asynchronous. This typically includes recorded sessions that are independently viewed or written materials.

What are best practices related to accessibility for homestudy programs?

First, sponsors must ensure they provide attendees with a mechanism to request accommodations; and, following that, sponsors should work with attendees to understand and be responsive to accessibility needs as much as practicably possible. Programs should be accessible and all reasonable accommodations must be met.

How do we show that we meet expertise requirements related to instructors/program development and test prep personnel?

The homestudy application requires the name and degree of individuals involved in program development and test preparation – this requires full CVs for all individuals and it should be clear both from Standard C attachments and information submitted writ large who will be doing what. For example, clarify if an individual is an instructor and test prep personnel, or if they are just one or the other role; and, regardless of their role, it should be evident that they have sufficient expertise for their assigned role(s) and topic area(s).

Do I need to include the homestudy material as a reference?

Yes, when providing your list of references for programs, the citation for the source material (e.g., journal article or text used) should be provided in addition to the minimum of 3 and maximum of 10 required references.

Are there requirements for receiving permissions to use homestudy materials (e.g., Open Access articles)?

Yes, sponsors should ensure they use homestudy materials in accordance with standard ethical and legal best practices. For example, sponsors should receive and document that they have obtained adequate permissions to utilize materials that are available online – particularly if authors require users to seek permission (e.g., via statements noted in the resource).

How do I assess learning? Do I need knowledge questions? 

In addition to administering an evaluation that includes the two mandatory questions and assessment of the learning objectives, the homestudy must also include a measure of achieved learning (e.g., post-test) AND the correct responses (e.g., answer keys). This measure can include multiple choice, true/false, or essay questions that assess knowledge gained. These questions must be written at a postdoctoral level of difficulty and thoroughly assess the content covered in the program.

It is also recommended that you include 6-8 questions for every one credit hour and only a minimum number of true-false questions (e.g., no more than 1 per hour).

Also, evaluation/feedback forms should be appropriately tailored based on type of programming format. For example, questions for live remote and homestudy programming related to ‘accessibility’ should be clearly relevant to those formats, including questions that ask about ‘technology’ rather than ‘rooms’. Similarly, questions related to ‘instructors’ should be adjusted accordingly for homestudy programs where there is no opportunity for live interaction with an instructor.

Note: As a reminder, the Standards and Criteria do not link completed evaluation forms to distribution of Certificates of Attendance and/or receipt of CE credit; therefore, it is recommended that participants are ‘asked’ rather than ‘required’ to complete evaluation forms.

What is considered a passing grade?

A minimum of 75%, although you may choose to make it higher. The minimum passing score is 70% on tests with only 10 questions. For programs that require a test of achieved learning, the specified passing criterion must be met before credit may be awarded.

What is the guidance about post-test difficulty – e.g., allowing participants to retake post-tests or ‘helping’ attendees to the correct answer?

Sponsors must ensure that a postdoctoral level of learning is achieved and, thus, participants should be able to pass tests within a specified, reasonable number of attempts. It is not recommended that participants have an unlimited number of opportunities to pass post-tests. Similarly, directing participants to correct answers is not sufficient to meet the Standard (e.g., via hyperlinks to specific sections with correct answers).

How do I know how many CE credits to offer?

You must justify the hours of the CE offering. This can be based on the length of the activity if it is recorded, where one hour of educational material equals one hour of CE. You can also calculate hours based on field testing and/or use of available formulae (e.g., the Mergener formulaopens in new window).

CE credit for psychologists is granted on a one credit per one instructional hour basis and is awarded only for actual instructional time. Any program content not appropriate to be offered for CE credit for psychologists, as well as breaks and lunches, may not be included in the number of CE credits awarded.

How do I verify attendance?

Sponsors are required to have some way of verifying that the person who signed up for the CE offering is the same person attending the offering and completing the evaluation and post-test. This can include such things as an attestation that the learner agrees to, or a random “pop-up” question or required response that occurs during the presentation.

Can you provide examples of what is considered homestudy vs live?

Yes – see the below table.