Frequently Asked Questions

NO! Your eLearning course is like any other course on your schedule. You're expected to be on a device completing course work for the duration of your eLearning period. Expectations with regards to attendance, assignments, and deadlines are the same as any other course.

Individual schools will identify where eLearning students can work during their eLearning period(s).

Your guidance counsellor or vice principal will inform you of the location and expectations at your school.

Many schools open their cafeterias, libraries, guidance offices, or computer labs before school, after school, or at lunch. You may also access your eLearning course from your home computer or some community-based location, like a public library.

Your eLearning course is only one of your teacher’s assigned classes. The rest of their classes are traditional, face-to-face classes. Your teacher will be on-line during their eLearning period, just as you are on-line at your school during your eLearning period ... but you and your teacher are not necessarily online at the same time.

In the asynchronous model, it doesn't matter that students and teachers are not on-line at the same time - various communication tools (e.g. e-mail, discussion boards, drop-boxes) allow students and teachers to stay connected. There will always be a way for you to contact your teacher ... it's just that the reply may not be immediate.

Yes. Under normal circumstances in the regular day school program, students can enroll in a total of four courses in each semester. It is encouraged that no more than one of these should be an eLearning course.

Yes. An eLearning course is a full, complete course with the same credit value as its face-to-face version. In addition, eLearning courses appear on your report card and transcript in the same way as all other day-school courses.

No. You remain a student of your home school, even if the eLearning course is delivered by a teacher in another school. You are free to participate in the life of your home school – before, during and after classes.

Yes, you may still enroll in night school courses.

No. School boards receive funding to offer eLearning courses in the same way they offer face-to-face classes.

eLearning Courses are like any other day-school course. The same timeline and criteria for full disclosure apply to dropping eLearning courses and traditional face-to-face courses. In order to drop a course, a student must contact their guidance counsellor who will ensure the proper process takes place.

It is encouraged that students can enroll in one eLearning course per semester as part of their regular day school program.

YCDSB eLearning courses are available to YCDSB students or out-of-board students registering through an Ontario eLearning Consortium member board only. eLearning courses are predominantly geared towards students in grades 11 and 12, where there is more choice in electives. Students in grade 10 who demonstrate excellent Learning Skills as documented on their report cards, may also be considered candidates for eLearning courses. Currently, eLearning courses are not suggested for students in grade 9.

Successful eLearning learners know they will spend as much time working on their eLearning course as they expect to spend in a traditional classroom. Each high school course, whether traditional face-to-face or e-course, is organized around 75 minute periods totalling 110 hours for the entire course (except for Civics and Careers, which is half of that). As is the case in all courses, students will require time over-and-above classroom time to complete assignments and homework.

There are no textbooks for eLearning courses. All eLearning course resources are available on-line, and all activities, assignments and coursework are completed on-line.

The exception to this are a handful of senior level English courses which require digital novels that will be provided to students free of charge. Students will access these digital novels via SORA eBooks.

Typically eLearning courses require more reading and writing than a regular in-school course, but you also have plenty of listening and viewing of non-print resources. You will apply new understandings and develop the learning skills and work habits necessary for success. Activities and assignments include, but are not limited to, quizzes, projects, portfolios, and participation in discussions. Students may also be required to record themselves with audio and visual aids for presentations - mimicking what an in-person presentation would look like.

While logged-in, you may work on assignments or communicate with your teacher or classmates. You may also submit assignments into the drop-box. The Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) also keeps track of all electronic interactions so your teacher has a continuous record for evaluation purposes.

Teachers are available during their scheduled eLearning period. You may contact your teacher through e-mail at any point in the school day during the course of the regular week. In order to be successful in an eLearning course, you must stay “up-to-date” on assignments and be involved in discussions. Your teacher may schedule conversations, assignments and provide threaded discussion opportunities in which your participation and attendance is mandatory.

Students are expected to login and access their course daily during their eLearning period. Your teacher will have a record of all your log-ins and course access dates. If you won’t be accessing your course because you’re sick, notify your teacher. If there’s no class access/participation/communication between you and your eLearning teacher for three (3) consecutive school days, your eLearning teacher will attempt to contact you and your parents and you will be considered “absent”. If you are absent for five (5) consecutive days, your home school administrator may be contacted.

Teachers of eLearning courses abide by the same assessment, evaluation and reporting policies and schedules that apply to all day school courses. The final mark is broken down into 70% for term work and 30% for summative evaluation(s), which include a Rich Performance Assessment/Culminating Performance Task.