Overview
A distance
learning course is one you take without meeting a teacher
in a classroom. You can study from home or at work, whenever you
like. These courses can be semester based with specific start
and end dates or can be set on a personal timeline. One or more
media may be used to deliver a course, including texts, manuals,
and study guides, CD-ROMs, web pages, and video or audio. Some
courses have an in-person component, so you may want to find out
about how a course is designed before rejecting it because "I'll
never see anyone in person".
While the distance learning approach can be a convenient way to
take courses, it is not suited to everyone's learning needs. At
Humber College, the prospective student interested in distance
learning is asked to do self-assessment through an online the
Readiness Checklist, courtesy of Monroe Community College, at
http://www.monroecc.edu/depts/distlearn/minicrs/OnlineForm.htm.
Another good
overview of online courses and the aptitude, ability, and resources
to find and participate in online courses can be found at Ontario's
Volunteers Online five-part E-Learning Module: http://www.volunteersonline.ca/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=167.
Canadian Virtual
University (r) (CVU) is a partnership of 11 universities across
Canada committed to delivering university-level programs that
can be completed from anywhere in the country or beyond. Students
can enroll in online courses from several Canadian universities
from one web site: http://www.cvu-uvc.ca/.
The Distance
Studies website, http://www.distancestudies.com/index.cfm,
lists courses in Canada and the US.
Master's Degrees
Here are some
examples of distance learning in health and health promotion at
a Master's level:
Athabasca University,
Master of Health Studies, http://www.athabascau.ca/calendar/03/grad/health_02.html
Lakehead
University, Master of Public Health
http://www.lakeheadu.ca/mph/
(thesis)
University
of Alberta, Master of Science, http://www.chps.ualberta.ca/grad_prog/distance_students.htm
(courses)
