Section 62-13-325 - Distance education courses(a) "Distance education" shall be used interchangeably with "correspondence courses" and includes all education through other media where the teacher and student are separated by distance or time. Distance education courses approved by the commission must be completed within one (1) year of the date of enrollment in order for continuing education to be granted to the licensee. Distance education may include printed materials, computer-based materials, and online materials.(b) A distance education course using printed materials may be approved by the commission if: (1) Students will be provided a manual or other printed material;(2) A comprehensive course outline, requirements for successful completion of the course and information regarding availability of faculty to students are provided;(3) It contains at least six (6) written exercises that are to be submitted periodically to the instructor, graded and returned to the student; and(4) If the class provides more than eight (8) hours of credit, a comprehensive final examination or equivalent measure of achievement is executed prior to the sponsor submitting the roster to the commission indicating successful completion of the course for any and all students.(c)(1) As used in this subsection (c): (A) "Asynchronous course" means a course offered to students at no specific time, where the teacher and student are separated by both time and distance; and(B) "Synchronous course" means a course offered in real time, where the teacher and student are separated by distance.(2)(A) A distance education course using computer-based or online materials or formats may be submitted to the commission for analysis and possible approval if the course is certified by the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO) or another certifying body at the discretion of the commission, as to technology, support of the technology, interactivity, and course design.(B) The certification requirement under subdivision (c)(2)(A) does not apply to a synchronous course, but does apply to an asynchronous course.(3) The commission shall review these certified courses on a case by case basis to determine whether the curriculum meets commission education requirements.(4) A course that provides more than eight (8) hours of continuing education must include a final examination that must be executed prior to submission to the commission for education credit.(5) Approval of a course under this subsection (c) must be automatically withdrawn if certification by the respective certifying body is discontinued.(d) Any distance education version of the basic principles of real estate course required of applicants for an affiliate broker's license under § 62-13-303 shall include at least one (1) student interaction with a commission-approved instructor for every five (5) hours of credit.Amended by 2022 Tenn. Acts, ch. 753, Secs.s1, s2 eff. 3/28/2022. Acts 2009 , ch. 287, § 2.