Student Handbook

Table of Contents

1. How To Study Online
2. The Online College Satisfaction Guarantee
3. Private Vocational Schools Act and Regulations (Saskatchewan)
4. Diploma Program Enrollment Contract
5. Refund Policy
6. Minimum Attendance Policy
7. Extension Policy 
8. Discontinuation Notice
9. Complaint Handling Procedure
10. Privacy Policy
11. Terms of Use
12. Forms

a. Extension Request Form
b. Early Completion Request Form
c. Written Notice of Discontinuation
d. Complaint Form
e. Form to Request Copies of Transcripts

1. How to Study Online

A few well-applied hours of study can mean the difference between truly comprehending your course material and wasting your time. Good study skills are not natural -- don't simply start on page one. Apply a few strategies to help you learn more efficiently. Involve both your mind and your body in your study session.

Online Studying:

Your study habits will determine your success when working with our online courses. As in any learning, managing your time properly and devoting the proper amount of time to study is of the utmost importance. In addition to time management, you should also be setting realistic goals that you want to achieve in a specified time. Goal setting is also a very important piece of the learning puzzle. In the next few paragraphs you will be presented with a few items that will help you enhance your online learning experience.

Learning Preferences

Are you a(n) ….

Visual Learner?

Do you feel most comfortable learning when things are presented in a visual manner? If this is the case, you are a visual learner. Many people learn very easily when presented with an example, or examples, of a concept. Visual learners can enhance their online learning experience by:

Using your sense of sight by imagining what your subject looks like.
While studying use notes, maps, flashcards and charts.
Enhancing your memory by using written questions and answers and trying to picture words and concepts in your mind.

Auditory Learner?

Do you learn best by listening to material being presented? If this is indeed the case then you are an auditory learner. Auditory learners can enhance their online learning experience by:

• Record a tape of the course material by reading it out loud. After recording the material play it back and listen intently.
• Many of our courses offer an abundance of sound, and include an onscreen instructor. Auditory learners will benefit greatly from this type of course.

Kinesthetic Learner?

Physical learning, also called kinesthetic learning is for people who require a physical connection to enhance their learning experience. If you are a kinesthetic learner:

• You may benefit from tracing words as you say them or pointing to words as you read.
• You may find it beneficial to translate concepts to your mind by repeatedly writing out material.
• You may benefit from role playing in regards to some course material

No one style of learning is better than the other. You may use combinations of different learning styles to enhance you learning experience online. Ultimately you have to decide what works best for you to retain your course information. Our sincere hope is that one of the suggestions above helps you out.

Keep focused on the task at hand!  Make sure you lockout any possible outside computer interference when studying online material. Close (or preferably don’t open) another browser window while taking your course or studying. When studying, utilize chat programs only if they can enhance your comprehension of course material (such as chatting with another online student or instructor).

Study at specified times!  If at all possible set up a specific period of time for studying purposes. An hour of uninterrupted study time will be far more valuable than a number of hours of interrupted study time. Also, make sure everyone in your life necessary knows your study times and makes allowances for this as not to interrupt you.

Rome wasn’t built in a day!  Everyone learns at a different pace. Our online courses offer you more than enough time to complete the material presented. We certainly don’t want you to procrastinate when taking a course, but it is of the utmost importance that you retain what you learn. If you are able to retain the information you will be able to utilize it properly when the time comes. Take the time necessary to retain what you learn. Basically, retain and maintain!

Help is important!  Don’t wait until a molehill turns into a mountain! If you are having trouble picking up on a concept, address it at that time. In many instances, if you miss or don’t truly understand a concept, it will affect other areas of the course you are taking. If you have truly tried to understand the concept and just can’t get through it, please email and we will do our utmost to help you through it.

Attempt a pre-test test!  Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself by making up a pre-test test. It is always helpful to know what areas you need to work on. If you have a coursemate that is available to help you out via chat or whatever, having taken a pretest will be beneficial to you before you start talking (chatting) with this person.

Obviously, if your course offers practice quizzes, use them to determine how you are doing and prepare for the final.

Credit where credit is due!  When you succeed, don’t be afraid to give yourself credit. Do something that reminds yourself of each success you have. Treat yourself to something! This should become part of your online learning as there is no doubt that reminding yourself that you have achieved a particular goal will only tend to lead to your achieving more goals!

Healthy Mind - Healthy Body

Your mind and body are linked!  It is an undisputed fact that health and learning are connected. Make sure you are taking care of yourself by eating properly, exercising properly and sleeping well. These three items are the most important factors in how you are able to control your mind in regards to concentration, memorization and the ability to handle stress. Your commitment to health is extremely important in achieving your goals in online learning.

Claim your space!  Where you decide to study is important. Wherever possible try to lessen the impact of distractions that will negatively affect you learning ability. All humans learn in varying ways. Some people learn well with music playing at a low volume while others can’t stand any distractions whatsoever. Make sure the space you work in with your computer is set up in a way to maximize your online learning. Take any possible distraction temptations out of the space.

Don’t forgo the ergo(nomics that is)!  It is very important that you take care of yourself when working on your computer for long periods of time. Pay attention to maintaining proper posture and especially to setting up your work area as to make sure you are not placing undo strain on your body. For example, make sure your monitor is at or below eye level and is not too close or too far away to avoid neck and eye strain. Also, make sure you take breaks!

An excellent site that will help you determine proper computer use is:

http://www.healthycomputing.com/office/

Know where to go!  If you want to maximize your learning time, make sure you know where you left off in your previous session. Many of the courses we offer will do this for you, but make sure you make a mental or written note of where you were when you left off. It can be very frustrating, not to mention time-wasting, when you have to go through a lesson again because you didn’t remember where you were.

Time Management

Personal discipline is the greatest factor in your success with online learning. You have to manage your time properly and then stick to your decided schedule. Keep your confidence up and believe in yourself! You can do it, if you want it!

Try the following tips to keep on the right track:

Design a “To do” list!  Whether on your computer or written down, make a list of your priorities.
Look Ahead! Try to look ahead and list everything you have to do during your course.

Prioritize your tasks!  List your tasks by priority level. Make your first list up of tasks that are of the highest priority, ones that will have consequences if not done. Your second list should be made up of tasks that would help you achieve goals but don’t have consequences if not done. Finally, your third list should be made up of unimportant tasks, tasks that are inconsequential. Label these lists 1), 2), and 3).

Design a Calendar and stick to it.  A calendar will help you figure out a schedule of tasks over a specified period. Your calendar should contain all events over the perceived period of your course. This calendar should contain all of your work, family and study commitments and should also show any leisure activities. So, basically, you should be using items from the lists in “Prioritize your tasks!” above.

Enter all of your 1) list into your calendar. Make sure you mark all of the dates that you have tests and assignments due.

Make sure you allow lots of time for any assignments that take more thought or time to complete such as reading or written essays.

Make sure that you keep list 1) as your major priorities. Do not let any other tasks from lists 2) or 3) become anything you worry about or set as high priority.  Reduce your stress level by doing your tasks from list 1) first!

Map a day! Take the time to map out a typical day in your life. By knowing how much time to allow for your other activities, you will be able to delegate the proper amount of time to your course(s).

Always set goals! You will achieve what you desire in life by setting specific goals. It is a great idea to write these goals down. An example might be:

“I will achieve my certificate in word processing by July. My motivation for this is that I would like to be working as an office assistant by September.”

Always attempt to download anything you might need from the Internet during slower times. Dependant on your area, you will need to figure out when your best download times are during the day.

Check how your ISP (Internet Service Provider) deals with inactivity online. In the odd case, some providers will close the line if you have a lengthy period of inactivity. If your course is totally online, make sure you understand how your ISP works and talk to someone if you are having these problems.

If any of your assignments should be due at a specific time, and you are relying on the Internet to send them, submit these important items a few hours earlier, just in case. 

 
2. The Online College Satisfaction Guarantee

Here is The Online College’s pledge to you, our student:
If you are dissatisfied in any way with our courses or our service, we’ll do what it takes to “make it right.”

3. Private Vocational Schools Act and Regulations (Saskatchewan)

Currently, The Private Vocational Schools Regulations state, “…a school or institution that offers only correspondence courses or home study courses is exempt from the Act.” Because the operators of The Online College would like to register with Saskatchewan Advanced Education and Employment, we have begun the long and complicated process of advocating changes to the 1995 Act and Regulations. It is our goal to apply for registration as soon as we are eligible; in fact, we review the rules and guidelines for registration each and every time we develop a program or establish a policy. If you are interested in researching this topic further, we recommend that you read the two governing documents:

• The Private Vocational Schools Regulation Act, 1995
• The Private Vocational Schools Regulations, 1995

4. Diploma Program Enrollment Contract

As part of the enrollment process, each Diploma Program student is given the opportunity to read the contents of the Diploma Student Enrollment Contract and must acknowledge having done so in order for his/her enrollment to proceed. We recommend that students print a copy of all documentation for their records.

Click here to view a Sample Diploma Program Enrollment Contract

5. Refund Policy

Once a student has activated his/her username and password, all tuition fees are non-refundable.

6. Minimum Attendance Policy (Diploma Students Only)

At the bare minimum**, students are expected to attend (log in) at least once every week (7 days). Students who fail to log in for two consecutive weeks (14 consecutive days) without notifying the college of their intentions will receive an attendance warning. Students who fail to log in for three consecutive weeks (21 consecutive days) without explanation will be suspended.

** Students who are being sponsored or financed by third parties may be required to attend 15 to 20 hours per week in order to remain in good standing. Students should check with sponsors and/or finance companies regarding their specific expectations.

7. Extension Policy

Extensions for Single Courses:
For single courses, students have three months** from the date we receive payment to complete their studies. If single-course students need more time to complete, they may request ONE free one-month extension from the Principal. The Principal will process extensions only if the request is made prior to the original end-date of the course.

**Some professional certification courses allow longer completion times.  Exceptions are noted in the detailed course descriptions in the course catalogue.

Extensions for Package Deals:
To allow ample time to complete all courses included in our Package Deals, Package-Deal students are given twelve months from the date we receive payment to complete their studies. If Package-Deal students need more time to complete all their courses, they may request ONE free three-month extension from the Principal. The Principal will process extensions only if the request is made prior to the original end-date of the Package.

Extensions for GED Preparation:
Students have three months to complete the GED Preparation Program. If GED Preparation students need more time to complete their Program, they may request ONE free one-month extension from the Principal. The Principal will process extensions only if the request is made prior to the original end-date of the Program.

Extensions for Diploma Programs
The Online College’s Diploma Programs range in length from 2 to 12 months. Although each program has a suggested completion time, each Diploma Program student must establish a program end-date based upon that student's unique circumstances. Once the end-date has been established, Diploma Program students are expected to organize their studies in order to complete on schedule. Diploma students may**, however, be able to complete early or extend their study terms provided they do so in consultation with the Principal. The Principal will process extensions only if the request is made prior to the original Program end-date.

**Note 1: Most finance companies and sponsoring agencies do not allow changes to program end-dates. Students should always check with their sponsors and/or finance companies regarding their specific expectations.
**Note 2: Completing their Diploma Programs early does not relieve students of their financial obligations to The Online College. Students will not receive Official Transcripts and/or Diplomas until all financial obligations with The Online College have been met.

8. Discontinuation Notice (Diploma Students Only)

If you wish to discontinue your studies, for any reason, please complete and submit the Discontinuation Notice Form found in the “Forms” section of this document. It is important to notify the College of your intention to discontinue so that we may notify sponsors and/or finance companies in a timely manner.

Discontinuation from your studies does not relieve you of the financial obligations you have pledged to The Online College, your sponsor(s), and/or your finance companies.

9. Complaint Handling Procedure

It is our goal to provide a positive learning environment to all students of The Online College. If students believe that their learning is being compromised, they are welcome to make a complaint to the College. In order to achieve resolution both quickly and fairly, students should follow the procedure as outlined below:

Step 1: Quick Resolution A student or group of students may make a complaint to the Principal by telephone or by email (using the complaint form provided in the Student Handbook) in an informal format. In making the complaint, it is essential to identify the source of the problem and how the problem is affecting an individual or group of individuals.

Step 2: Quick Resolution. The Principal will investigate the issue, will conduct research if required, and will communicate suggested resolutions to the complainant(s) within one week of receiving the complaint.

Step 3: Formal Resolution: If the problem can not be resolved by the Quick Resolution Mechanism (as outlined above), a formal complaint procedure will follow. The complainant(s) will make a complaint in writing sent by registered mail to the Principal. The formal complaint must clearly identify the source of the problem, and how the problem is affecting others.

Step 4: Formal Resolution. The Principal will investigate the issue, will gather evidence as required, and will communicate suggested resolutions to the complainant(s) within two weeks of receiving the formal written complaint.

Step 5: Appeal to the President. If the complaint is still not resolved in a satisfactory manner, the formal written complaint will be forwarded to the The Online College’s President. The President will gather all documents, investigate the matter, and respond to the complainant and to the Principal within two weeks of receiving the referral. The President’s decision will be final.

Forms

a. Extension Request Form
b. Early Completion Request Form
c. Written Notice of Discontinuation
d. Complaint Form
e. Form to Request Copies of Transcripts