The Answers You Need About Online Learning in Post-Secondary

Worried about starting college during a pandemic? Here's what you need to know about online learning.

Centennial College, like other Ontario schools, responded to the global pandemic by shifting its offerings over to online learning. If you're looking to enroll in a college program right now, you might have further questions about virtual learning and what it looks like. Read on for answers to our top commonly asked questions.

Will online learning be permanent?

Online learning will not permanently replace classroom learning. Once it is deemed safe to do so by Toronto Public Health, Centennial College plans on returning to in-person classes. With that in mind, many of our students prefer online learning. With that in mind, we've also launched a full-suite of completely virtual programs that will be offered online indefinitely.

Does online learning work?

There have been plenty of studies over the years, including recent ones, indicating that online learning is just as effective as in-class learning. At Centennial College, we are known for delivering high-quality in class experiences, so we wanted to ensure our online programs delivered the same great education, in a time and place that suits you through our online learning.

Who does online learning help?

Right now, online learning helps everyone. Through online learning, you can safely stay in your home, while working towards your accreditation. Centennial College already offered online learning before the pandemic, as a flexible option for those who had difficulty travelling to our campuses or who had challenging schedules. In fact, you may even want to still take part in online learning after we resume in-person classes.

Is online learning easier or harder than in-class learning?

One of the great things about online learning is that you can set your own schedule. But you also need to be self-motivated as you'll have no one watching over you. You'll need to be good at staying on task, setting your own schedule, and ideally have a workspace that's good for your studies. Here are a few tips on how you can get ready for online learning.

How do you do group work during online learning?

We've provided some tips and tricks for doing group work online which you can read here, but to sum it up, it's all about picking a communications channel (teleconferencing software like Zoom or Skype), making sure you're all meeting regularly, ensuring you're working from the same Google Doc or another cloud computing collaboration tool, and having a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities within the team.