In September, 2008, the Commission sent out for comment and discussion a proposed definition of "interactive" as used in the Regulations of the Commission. The original proposal is attached to this page (scroll down to download it) and the Commission's Regulations are published at www.cletn.com. At the request of several sponsors, the Commission postponed further consideration until March, 2009. At that time, based on comments received, the Commission suggested the following language:

Interactive: a distance learning program will be considered interactive if it includes elements that require action(s) by the participant to complete the program and if the required action(s) have educational value and involvement in the immediate context of the specific distance learning activity. Elements such as the ability to send emails submit questions electronically to program content providers for later response or prompts that require no focus on the course content will not be deemed “interactive” as used in these Regulations. Programs will also not be considered interactive if all action(s) are optional, such as the ability to post comments to bulletin boards or links to additional materials. Acceptable interactive elements include but are not limited to:

• Post-activity quizzes
• Choosing appropriate actions for characters in scenarios
• “Programmed” instruction with branching to appropriate content
• Simulations
• Surveys
• Games, puzzles, etc.
• Flashcards
• Virtual Worlds

The purpose of this proposal is to define the term in a way that would require that distance learning programs approved for CLE credit in Tennessee include ways for attorneys to engage with the material (interactivity). All comments received to date are posted in the discussion thread below. Please add your thoughts, questions, ideas, and comments!