Niagara College Canada

The learning outcomes for an on-line course are no different than a classroom course. Just like a traditional classroom you have an instructor, assignments, lectures and discussions. The differences? All of your assignments and communication with your fellow students and instructor are done electronically. You choose what time log on every week. You take greater control of your learning.

In addition to the study skills that are necessary for post-secondary learning, there are some specific skills that you will need for on-line learning. These include:

• extra emphasis on goal-setting, self-discipline and time management
• ability to monitor your own progress
• willingness to ask for help when required
• persistence in searching for information
• basic computing knowledge and computer communication skills

You are most likely to succeed in on-line courses if:

• you have confidence in yourself as an independent learner
• you enjoy working alone
• you are willing and able to meet deadlines on your own initiative, read material for yourself that would normally be discussed in the classroom and work through self-marked exercises on your own as required

You will be expected to:

• have a computer with a connection to the Internet
• find out from the instructor when assignments are due, and submit assignments on time

OntarioLearn.com is a consortium of 22 Ontario Community Colleges who have partnered to develop and deliver on-line courses. To avoid duplication, member colleges share curriculum and instructors. Niagara College is one of the original seven colleges of OntarioLearn. For more information, please visit www.ontariolearn.com.

• A "typical" home computer is generally enough to successfully complete an on-line course.
• A connection to the Internet is a necessity and is the responsibility of the student.
• Word Processing software will be required to complete and submit electronic copies of assignments. We recommend Microsoft Word.
• Additionally, specific software may be required for some courses. Consult the course details page for information on required software for an individual course.
• A standard email account is recommended, although free email accounts such as Hotmail or Yahoo accounts will suffice.
• Students are responsible to have the correct software in order to take their course. (Example: if you are taking ACCPAC, Simply Accounting, Quickbooks, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visual Basic, etc. you must have those programs on your home computer to take the course.)

When you log on is up to you! Unless there are chat sessions that you must attend, you choose your log on time based on your convenience.

Your course will likely have assignment due dates. It is recommended that you log on to your course at least once a week to stay up to date.

Although you have the liberty to log on when your time permits, there are still deadlines that you are responsible to meet.

All of our courses are instructor led, which means you are in a structured learning environment. Your instructor will inform you of their expectations of you when you begin your course.

We have more than 500 courses available on-line. Check the latest listing by clicking the Course Listing link on the left of this page.

If you are new to online learning, you may wish to participate in one of our FREE seminars. See Steps to Follow on our home page.

We offer 5 ways of registering for a course. We received a lot of feedback from students wishing to submit their registration details via the web. Click on the "How to Register" link at the left of this page for complete information on registering for an on-line course.

Important:
You may register until one calendar week after the start date listed of the class number that you wish to take.

Yes. Understand that the workload of an on-line course equals or is greater than an in-class course. You do have the freedom to log on at your convenience, but you must be wary of workloads.

Niagara College will not limit the number of courses you may enrol in at one time. This is left to your discretion.

Congratulations, and welcome aboard! Click the link called "After Registering / How to Get Started" for important information on what you need to do next!

Important:
You will not have access to your course until the start date listed for your class number. If you register after the start date, please allow up to 2 business days for your access to be activated.

Textbooks should be purchased through www.textnet.ca or are available at the Welland Campus Store. Click the link called "Textbooks" at the left of this page for more information.

Make sure you know which system you are on to contact the correct technical support.

If after 2 business days of registering (and after the official start date), you are having technical difficulties accessing your course, please contact:

• Embanet's 24 hour support desk (FirstClass, OL Blackboard, WebCT) at 1-800-695-5008.
• For Niagara College Blackboard users, please use the Niagara College Blackboard Support for help.

Approximately 45 days from the end of your course, our site will be updated with examination dates and options for you.

Visit the link on the left side of this page regarding "Exam Registration" for all the information you'll need!

You may withdraw from a course by contacting our registar's office. Call the college and use extension 7550. Be aware before you call of our withdrawal policies and deadlines.

If you are having non-technical issues with a course, please do not hesitate to contact us using the following contact information.

In order to qualify for a Niagara College Certificate you must take at least 25% of your course load through Niagara College.