Student Handbook

3.7. Attendance Policy

Each course is a specified number of weeks in length and follows a set schedule of facilitated discussions and assignments. These courses do not operate on the traditional “distance-education model of self-paced/self-study” but are facilitator-led with participation being worth 20 - 30% of the total available grade (please see Course Syllabus for information specific to your course). As such, you must be able to participate in course discussions at least once per day, including weekends and holidays.

Students are expected to:

• Check into the course site daily, including weekends and holidays. 
• Read posts from fellow students and the instructor daily.
• Make a minimum of two posts in each of the required discussion threads over at least 2 days that a course topic is active.
• Complete any required activities (e.g., Wikis) described in the Course Syllabus.

With the exception of our self-study courses, the vast majority of our facilitated, instructor-led courses are a specified number of weeks in length and follow a set schedule of learning activities. Generally, participation is worth 20 - 30% of the total available grade (please see the specific Course Syllabus on the e-learning platform or the publicly available course outline for specific information). As such, students are expected to make space each day (or at least every second day)  to participate in course discussions, including weekends and holidays. Participating in the discussions forums after the designative timeframe won’t fully meet the participation expectations – it’s similar to a student sharing their insights in a face-to-face classroom after everyone has left the room. In addition, persistent discussions after the designated timeframe can prevent students from progressing forward in the course.

Students should ensure posts reflect: 

• Your understanding of the readings, course activities, and underlying theories/constructs.
• Your integration/application of the information to the work of a career development practitioner.
• Your thoughtful response to others’ contributions to the discussion. 

You must notify course instructor(s) if you are going to be “offline” for more than 48 hours. After 48 hours the course instructor, or other administrative staff, will contact you via email. If no response is received to that email and there is no additional activity for a further 24 hours, we will assume that you decided to withdraw from the course. Therefore, if you are offline for more than 72 hours you will be un-enrolled. Because these courses are relatively short and intensive in nature, you cannot afford to be away from the course for very long.

Review 10 Tips for Completing Successful LearnOnline Discussions for some helpful tips for successful discussions. 

For self-study courses, students will not have required discussion forums but may be required to complete a reflective learning journal. If this is the case, specific guidance will be provided.