Kingston, Campus
Deciding to take an online course over traditional classroom learning can offer more flexibility, convenience, and choice for students. Although online courses can seem daunting, more and more Canadian students are going online to either continue or complete their post-secondary studies. Online courses can be found in any area of study. From nursing to marketing to health and safety. Similarly, as education moves online, instructors are also part the shift to online studies.
There are several thousand online courses through Ontariolearn.ca. More and more colleges and universities are offering online courses to compliment their course selection. Online studies are a great option if pursuing a diploma or degree on a part-time basis, save resources on commuting, etc.
St. Lawrence College, which operates on three campuses, currently offers 30 online programs to work towards certificates or diplomas. To teach any online course instructors must be comfortable with using technology to post notes, present webinars, etc. Many instructors who teach at the college currently use Blackboard as a platform to post slides, show grades, and communicate course announcements. At this point of time, it is at the discretion of the instructor on whether or not they use Blackboard to facilitate learning.
In my market research project, I want to determine the attitudes and preferences of using technology to facilitate learning from the faculty. Based on that research I want to evaluate if St. Lawrence College instructors are comfortable or interested in teaching an online course.
musings of a marketing student 