Online Courses

AdultEd-Overview-1pgr

The CDSBEO provides online courses for adult learners (18+) using a flexible, asynchronous approach. The online courses are intended for adults who are looking to earn their Ontario Secondary School Diploma or require prerequisites to enter a college or university program.

Taking an online course is a great way to study! There are many advantages to this mode of education; however, there are some things you should be aware of to be as prepared as possible for your new experience.

A student considering an Online course MUST be comfortable using a computer. At the very least, we require students to be able to:

have regular access to a personal computer. We are unable to provide a laptop for your use.
use email and have an acceptable personal email address for possible contact during the course
send and receive attachments on email messages
work with a word processor (Microsoft WORD is preferable), creating and formatting documents
save and organize files in folders on your hard drive or workspace for later retrieval
conduct efficient Internet searches
copy and paste text from one application to another
multi-task (work with multiple software applications simultaneously)
open and manipulate files using Adobe Acrobat (.pdf files)
download and install “plug-ins”
work with different file formats

From our experience, we find that students must have a strong motivation to succeed in an online course. Students must be able to make their own study schedule and stick to it to ensure that work is submitted regularly and in a timely fashion to meet the course deadlines. Students typically spend 4-8 hours/week over the course of the semester to complete the course/

Course Delivery

CDSBEO Online courses are delivered through the Online Brightspace platform, D2L. Courses are delivered asynchronously, meaning that students who enroll have the flexibility to take their schooling when it fits their schedule. Courses are typically 5 months in length; however, students can complete courses in as little as 2 months.

Attendance and Deadlines

Regular assignment submission is required. Each course has a suggested submission timeline. Please note that the timeline is a suggestion, as students enroll in the course throughout the semester and can work at their own pace based on their personal schedule. Failure to submit assignments could result in a student being withdrawn from the course.

Academic Integrity

All work must be your own. Plagiarism, cheating, or unauthorized use of AI tools is not permitted. Most assignments will state to what degree AI use is permitted. Please check with your teacher if you are unsure what is allowed.

Examples of academic dishonesty include:

- Copying from websites or other students
- Submitting work generated by AI without disclosure or teacher approval
- Using unauthorized aids or sharing answers

Consequences may include a mark of zero, withdrawal from the course, and notification to the administration.

Assessment

Your final grade is based on 70% coursework and a 30% culminating unit—there are no exams in CDSBEO online courses. Assessments include assignments, projects, discussions, and other activities posted in Brightspace.

Each course follows the Ontario Achievement Chart, evaluating:

- Knowledge & Understanding
- Thinking & Inquiry
- Communication
- Application

Teachers provide feedback through the Brightspace platform and sometimes through email.

Report Cards

Interim Progress report cards will be emailed to students using the email address provided at registration. Midterm and Final Report Cards will be sent to the student's home address in February or July.

Cost

If you are a resident of Ontario, CDSBEO online courses are free.

Need Help?
If you have questions about online courses, assessments or academic integrity, contact your teacher or email [email protected].