how it works
Correspondence*
BCIT correspondence courses are self-directed courses in which you work at your own pace, interacting rarely or not at all with an instructor. You may be required to submit assignments that are marked and returned and also to complete a mid-term and/or final examination or other form of final student assessment. Self-directed courses can be term-based and therefore last 12 weeks. The other type is continuous entry, a flexible option that allows you to register and start at any time. All continuous entry courses have a set course duration in weeks which starts on the registration date, and in which the course must be completed. Some courses have a duration of one year. Many courses allow for re-registration, which provides students additional time to complete their course work.
Online learning
Online courses provide for rich interaction between you and your instructor, between you and other students, or both. Online courses often have weekly scheduled learning activities or assignments in which you may work in collaborative groups or participate in discussion forums. Individual contact with instructors follows a pattern similar to that in a classroom. Usually, expectations for frequency of communication with your instructor are established at the beginning of the course; for example, your instructor may respond to your e-mail and bulletin board postings within 48 hours. Online courses begin on their posted start date; your login password for the course may not work before then. For more info, see Is Online Learning for Me? [PDF, 13 KB].
Guided learning
Guided courses are most commonly used in health education at BCIT. Learners order sets of course materials and have a term (12 weeks) in which to prepare for their final exam or evaluation. Assignment due dates are also scheduled. Help from an instructor via telephone and e-mail is available during a set time each week. The courses often encourage or require group work that occurs by telephone conferencing or computer technologies.
Blended courses are those in which classroom students have access to complementary online course content and resources.
* A historical note: The first distance courses were paper-based courses that relied on the postal system like other forms of correspondence. Students submitted assignments by mail and tutors returned their comments the same way. Later, phone interaction occurred between the instructor and student. Media such as audiocassette tapes and videotapes became available to supplement books and course binder materials.
additional information
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