• Professional Development
• ABQ and AQ Courses
  • Courses Offered
    • Fall 2009
    • Winter 2010
  • Registration
    • Registration Requirements
    • Fees
    • Changes or Cancellation of Registration
    • French Proficiency Test
  • Important Dates
    • Fall 2009
    • Winter 2010
  • Online Courses
• Principal’s Qualification Program
  • Admission
  • Fees
  • Program Content
    • Part I, Module 1: Leadership: style, theory and decision making
    • Part I, Module 2: The school community
    • Part I, Module 3: Human resources, standards of practice and legal implications
    • Part I, Module 4: School work culture and school operations
    • Part I, Module 5: Special education and school operations
    • Part I, Module 6: What it means to be a principal in the province of Ontario
    • Part II, Module 1: Leadership: decision making & staff supervision
    • Part II, Module 2: Curriculum supervision: program assessment, evaluation
    • Part II, Module 3: Curriculum leadership - school program planning, management & communication
    • Part II, Module 4: Human resources & resources management
    • Part II, Module 5: School physical & maintenance; community resources
    • Part II, Module 6: Communication
  • Schedule
• Back to the home page

Online Courses

Here are answers to frequently asked questions regarding the online courses for the professional development program.

What is an online course?

Via internet delivery, an online course will provide candidates with opportunities for…

• Collaborative learning and knowledge building
• Human teaching/learning relationships within an electronic context
• Ongoing professional dialogue with instructor and other course candidates
• Job-related, relevant and practical activities
• Reading, researching, reflecting upon, discussing and responding to educational documents, policies, practices and issues
• Presentations and/or demonstrations in areas of interest and expertise
• Professional networking and extended learning communities (global access to human, text and electronic resources)
• Small-group cooperative learning and problem-solving
• Ongoing formative and summative feedback from the course instructor and peers
• Exploring technological tools (power point presentations, whiteboard, digital video…)

How is an online course structured?

Our PDP online courses are module-based. For each module, the course candidate is provided with:

• Specific learning expectations
• Content-related notes from the instructor
• A Demonstration of Learning (assignment, task) as well as the process to follow in order to successfully complete the Demonstration of Learning
• Required and recommended readings
• Assessment and evaluation criteria and achievement descriptors

What does the course environment include?

The course environment includes:

• A course outline (general course learning expectations)
• An instructor biography
• Introductory orientation activities
• A user guide (“How-to” document on course navigation)
• Downloadable tools and resources for the course candidates
• A communication center which features
  • Email
  • Chats
  • Synchronous (real time) and asynchronous discussion noards
  • A course calendar on which the instructor includes important dates and events
  • A gallery for posting, sharing and responding to the work of peers
  • A private My grades feature provides ongoing tracking of achievement by module

What is the difference between a chat and a discussion?

Chats are synchronous (real time) and take place in chat rooms where the group’s interaction is live. The chat may or may not be recorded. Candidates are expected to attend and participate in scheduled chats. Candidates who will be absent for a chat should inform the course instructor. They may include their comments and responses after the fact (if the chat is recorded).

Discussions are an integral part of the course. They are asynchronous. This means that the candidates do not need to participate at the same time. They may contribute a response over an extended period of time. Discussion input is recorded for the duration of the course. Each candidate is expected to participate in discussions. The candidate’s participation is tracked by the course instructor.

Why should I consider taking a course online?

Convenience

Candidates may access the course at any time, from anywhere without the challenge and costs of commuting.

Collaboration

Online courses are based on the principles of shared learning through discussion driven interaction.

Accountability

Online courses require the candidate to assume responsibility for learning through sound self-management skill.

Reflection

Asynchronous discussions allow extended time resulting in deeper more meaningful reflection and responses.

Access to Resources

Online resources are often provided within the course content and are a click away.

Focus

Online courses minimize visual and auditory distractions thereby encouraging the candidate to focus on course content and meaning.

What are the basic competencies required to successfully complete an online course?

We recommend that all users be familiar with 2 essential tasks:

• Send and receive email (with attachment).
• Execute search on a given subject by using a search engine such as Google.

What is the required computer equipment?

To access your e-learning courses and to participate in the online activities, you can either use a computer at school, at work, at home or any other station with Internet access.

Here is the list of the basic equipment required to follow your online course.

Items Required

• Screen resolution with a resolution of 800 X 600
• Internet connection minimum: modem 56 K
• Web browser: Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox
• Windows operating system
• Sound card with speakers or earphones
• Adobe Acrobat Reader
• Word processing software like Microsoft Word, Open Office or Pages

Do I have to sit at the computer during specific scheduled hours at a time?

Online courses are listed as taking place at specific day and times.

Example: PDP 1210 - Visual Arts Part I - Monday, 6 p.m. to  9 p.m.

This means:

1. The course instructor will be online and available for immediate interaction with course candidates during the listed day/hours.
2. Real-time course interaction (chats, discussions) scheduled by the course instructor will take place only during the listed day/hours. Online course candidates are required to be online as scheduled by the course instructor and posted in the course calendar.
3. Course candidates have unrestricted access (time/day) to work on their course(s).

How do I access my online course?

Prior to the first week of courses, all candidates will receive a confirmation of application for registration.

Go to the Virtual campus and enter your student number and password to sign in.

What do I do if I run into technical problems?

Course candidates who need assistance with situations related to the technical aspects of an online course are invited to call the university help line at 613-562-5800 extension 6555. For assistance related to the course content, candidates should contact the course instructor. If further clarification is needed, or program consultation is required, course candidates should contact the program’s coordinator.

How much time is required of the course candidate?

As in the face-to-face model, the Ontario College of Teachers requires course candidates to complete 125 hours of work (online interaction time, reading/researching, small-group work, completion of assignments) for the successful achievement of a 6 credit additional qualifications (AQ), additional basic qualifications (ABQ) or honour specialist course. Since all modules must be completed and because interaction is integral to the successful completion of the course, candidates are not able to compress learning into fewer weeks.

Do I need to attend a face-to-face meeting or come in to write a final exam?

No. There are no face-to-face meetings. The course is fully online. Course candidates achieve marks by completing a demonstration of learning for each of the course’s modules, therefore, there is no final exam.

For the French second language part I course, all candidates, other than those who have completed their undergraduate and/or teacher education program in French at the University of Ottawa, are required to complete an examen de compétence linguistique.

Are online courses available in English and in French?

Yes, we offers online courses in both French and English. Courses offered are listed by session for each language:

• English
• French

What is the cost of an online course?

The cost for both online and face-to-face six credit AQ, ABQ or Honour Specialist courses is the same regardless of the method of delivery.

How do I register for an online course?

The registration procedures for online courses are identical to the procedures for face-to-face courses. View the registration section for all the details.