Distance Education and Me!!

How can CDLI benefit me?

So, what does this have to do with you? Do you attend a smaller school that cannot always offer the full range of courses? Is there a high school course that you really need or would really like to take but cannot because it is not offered locally? If that is the case then CDLI is what you have been looking for.

CDLI is a part of the provincial education system. Our main goal at CDLI is to enable students to have access to high school courses regardless of their location. If you are in the process of completing your course selection sheets for coming years and discover that courses you require are not offered locally, then we are here to help.

Take a look through our site to help you determine if taking a course through CDLI is an option for you.

What courses does CDLI offer?

The table below lists courses that are currently offered by CDLI. Does it include a course that you are unable to obtain locally?

What's it like to do a CDLI course?

If you take a course through CDLI then your class will likely include students from other schools besides yours. A typical class size is about the same as you might expect to find in any school. The difference with CDLI is that the students may be from anywhere in the province. Your course will have a live ('synchronous') component in which you interact, in real time, with your instructor and your classmates. The class will also include an asynchronous component which will provide you with time to complete assigned work, labs etc., but without direct contact with your teacher.

Despite the fact that the course is 'offered online,' a CDLI course is the same as one you could take face to face. It includes the same curriculum outcomes and uses the same amount of class time. Depending on your own learning style, you should find the course no different from what you have come to expect. CDLI courses work well with your regular course schedule. For example, on any given day you may find yourself working with your on-site classmates and taking a course face-to-face in one period and then working with off-site classmates working on a CDLI course in another period. This may even happen from year to year. For example, you may take a level 2 Science course face to face this year and then take the corresponding level 3 course by CDLI the following year, or vice versa.

To you, this will be seamless. You will attend school and do the program that is right for you. Some of it will be done locally and some of it will be done through CDLI. In the end you will receive one transcript with all of your courses combined, regardless of how they were taken. In fact, your transcript will list your school as the school you graduated from and not CDLI.

How Does a CDLI course Work?

CDLI courses are accessed through the Internet. You will do the majority of course activities at your school and in the time period allocated for that course. CDLI provides your school with all of the equipment necessary for getting online, including computer workstations, headset-microphones and an all-in-one fax/copier/scanner.

How do I get enrolled?

Course enrolment is handled for you by your school. In the spring, when you do your course selection for the next year, CDLI courses will appear on the selection sheet along with the courses offered locally. Your school will register you in the required courses.

To access your courses, all you have to do is visit CDLI's website and login. If you do not already have a login then click on the login link and you will be taken to a page that offers several options, including the ability to register for a new account. This account request is subject to an approval process. Once completed, you will be notified. Once logged in, you will click the link to Desire2Learn and be taken to your Desire2Learn home page, which will list all of your courses, along with any announcements that relate to you.

To access any of your courses, just click the link and you will be taken to the course home page. From there, Desire2Learn will manage the process by which you perform both the asynchronous and synchronous tools used by CDLI.

What is provided?

CDLI works in partnership with your school to ensure that you have everything that is needed to do the course work. The school provides the physical space for you to work in and CDLI provides the necessary electronic equipment so you can get online and access your course.

Sufficient computer workstations are provided to the school so that everyone who needs to get online for class can get access using their own machine. Students do not have to share computers during any particular class. Of course sharing between classes happens. The computer that you use in period 1 to access your English course may be used by another student in period 2 to access their World History course, for example.

You will be provided with your own headset microphone so you can participate in the Blackboard Collaborate sessions. These will be replaced if they cease working.

An all-in-one printer/copier/scanner is provided to your school so you can submit handwritten work. If, for example, you complete a Mathematics assignment by hand then you will place it on the all-in-one, scan it from your computer workstation and then put the electronic file in the Desire2Learn dropbox. You can also use this machine to do any necessary printing.

A videoconference machine is also provided to the school for use, as needed.

Depending upon the course, other specialized equipment may be provided. See the course-specific section of this website to get the particulars.

How can I be successful?

You may be wondering if taking a course through CDLI is really for you. Consider this: when CDLI designs and implements a course the first priority is the act of learning, not the fact that it is to be delivered by distance education. This means that a CDLI course is not designed with a particular type of student in mind. Rather, the course delivery is designed to match the type of learner the original course was designed for. What this means for you is that your choice whether to take a course through CDLI should be based on whether or not the actual course is for you, regardless of whether it is offered face to face or through CDLI.

Suppose you are offered the choice whether or not to take an Advanced Mathematics course through CDLI. Rather than considering whether or not a CDLI course is for you, it would be better to consider whether or not Advanced Mathematics better suits your needs.

There are certain learner characteristics that would make you well-suited to taking a course through CDLI. These include:

• Willingness to put in the effort
• Organizational skills
• Good study skills
• The ability to actively listen
• Willingness to participate
• Good communication skills
• Independence /Independent Skills
• The ability to see and to take advantage of opportunities
• Willingness to accept responsibility for your own learning

Now look back at the list. Think about it—aren't these the same skills that make you successful in your face-to-face courses too? Enough said!

What new tools will I use to participate in a CDLI course?

• Desire2Learn
• Blackboard Collaborate™
• Videoconferencing

For more information on these tools, take a look at the "Check It Out" section located on the menu to the right!!