Appraisal Courses - Computer-Based

Frequently, some applicants for appraiser classification have difficulty attending classes to meet the law's education requirements due to distance or other extraordinary circumstances. To meet these needs, the Board approves offerings of independent-based courses. These computer-based courses must meet applicable requirements outlined in Section 539.2-.02 of the Appraisers Act as well as other certain standards including:

• Teach to Mastery - every computer-based course must teach to mastery meaning the course must, at a minimum:
  1. divide the material into major units as approved by the Board;
  2. divide each of the major units of content into modules of instruction for delivery on a computer or other approved interactive audio or audiovisual programs;
  3. specify the learning objectives for each module of instruction. The learning objectives must be comprehensive enough to ensure that if all the objectives are met, the entire content of the course will be mastered;
  4. specify an objective, quantitative criterion for mastery used for each learning objective;
  5. implement a structured learning method by which each student is able to attain each learning objective;
  6. provide means of diagnostic assessment of each student's performance on an ongoing basis during each module of instruction;
     • this assessment process shall measure what each student has learned and not learned at regular intervals throughout each module of instruction, and
     • the diagnostic assessment must specifically assess the mastery of each concept covered in the content material.
  7. provide a means of tailoring the instruction to the needs of each student as identified in #5 above. The process of tailoring the instruction must ensure that each student receives adequate remediation for specific deficiencies identified by the diagnostic assessment;
  8. continue the appropriate remediation on an individualized basis until the student demonstrates achievement of each mastery criterion; and
  9. require that the student demonstrate mastery of all material covered by the learning objectives for the module before the module is completed.

• Documentation of Methodology - prior to the development of specific computer-based courses to be offered to meet education requirements, a school must submit to the Board for its approval satisfactory documentation of the method by which each element of mastery is to be accomplished. If the Board authorized that method, the school may utilize that method in developing any course it may offer to meet appraisers' education requirements. The rationale for the educational processes implemented with computer-based courses must be based on sound instructional strategies that have been systematically designed and proven effective through educational research and development. The basis and rationale for any proposed instructional approach must be specified in any request for approval.

• Required Testing and Evaluation of Courses - computer-based course must also meet the other course requirements except those governing in-class instruction. Except where the Board has granted permission in writing to do otherwise, persons developing computer-based courses must:
  • utilize at least nine persons (at least three must be unclassified, at least three must be classified appraisers holding classification at the level of or higher than the courses being developed, and at least six must be non-educators) in testing programs in order to evaluate for the developer the quality of content and user friendliness of the software and hardware. Persons developing such courses must document that those testing the programs have varying skill and knowledge levels of computers and appraising; and
  • make reasonably available to an authorized representative of the Board documentation on the development and testing processes utilized in its computer-based courses.

• Time Requirements - every computer-based course approved to meet the educational requirements for state registered real property appraiser, for state licensed real property appraiser, for state certified residential real property appraiser, for state certified general real property appraiser, and for continuing education shall consist of interactive computer-based or other interactive audio or audiovisual programs which will reasonably require the student to expend in completing the course the number of hours for which the course is approved.

• Instructors - every school offering an approved computer-based course shall offer those courses under an approved instructor who shall:
  • be available to answer students' questions or provide them assistance as necessary
  • provide reasonable oversight of students' work in order to insure that the student who completes the work is the student who is enrolled in the course;
  • certify students as successfully completing a computer-based course only if the student has:
    • completed all instructional modules required to demonstrate mastery of the material,
    • attended any hours of live instruction and/or testing required for a given course, and
    • passed the final examination, if the Board, in approving the course requires such an examination.
  • obtain a student certification statement as written in Section 539.2-.14 of the Board's Rules.

The following types of programs will not be deems as meeting the requirements for computer-based courses:

1. those which consist primarily of text material presented on a computer or other audio or audiovisual program rather than in printed material;
2. those which consist primarily of questions similar to those on the state licensing examination;
3. those which consists primarily of combinations of the elements in #1 and #2 above.