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Find Online Courses

Finding online courses is not a difficult thing to do, but finding the one that fits with your educational goals is a trickier task.

What level of course do you need? Does it need to be Canadian or can it be from an international provider? Do you need a course or a whole degree? Do you require transfer credit? What is the cost? Is the provider accredited? What does that mean? What are the differences in accreditation between countries?

There is a lot to decide, and the best way is to look at some of the providers, compare and contrast.

4Consumers' Guides to Choosing and Evaluating a Provider

Determining which schools are credible and which may be fly-by-night schemes demands that you be a thoughtful consumer. Do your research and take a look at some of these sites.

distance education: a consumer's guide - Very comprehensive guide discussing a range of issues, including accreditation from the US viewpoint (Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications).

Red Flags to Watch for When Choosing Distance Education Programs: Will you get what you're paying for? - From Peterson's Guide to Distance Learning, this article is widely known and quoted.

Another excellent article from Peterson's is "What is Accreditation and Why is it Important?" which also includes discussion on how institutions are accredited in Canada. As an example, Athabasca University responds to these questions directly on their site.

And be sure to check out "Warning signs of a less-than-wonderful school" for some tips on how to avoid diploma mills (DegreeInfo.com).

There is a nice audio clip available on accreditation from US News and World Report as well (12 minutes, requires Real Audio).

4Canadian Providers - Post-Secondary (K-12)

Correspondence and Virtual Schools - List includes both Canadian and American providers. Canadian ones are predominantly at the secondary school level.
http://www.ontariohomeschool.org/correspondencesch.html

4Canadian Providers - Post-Secondary

Canada's Campus Connection promotes the on-line credit courses of more than 75 institutions to learners in Canada and abroad (Industry Canada).
http://campusconnection.net/index.jsp?lang=eng

FindIt! has the information you need about post-secondary education in Canada. You can search for comprehensive descriptions of Canadian universities, Canadian community colleges and cégeps, and details on programs and online courses offered by institutions across Canada (CanLearn Interactive, HRDC).
http://www.canlearn.ca/findit/clindex.cfm?langcanlearn=EN

Canadian Virtual University - Your one doorway to 13 Canadian universities offering more than 250 programs available through the Internet or by distance education.
http://www.cvu-uvc.ca/english.html

DistanceEdCanada.ca - This searchable database of distance education courses and programs at various Canadian universities is a joint project of the Canadian Association for University Continuing Education (CAUCE) and the Ontario Council for University Lifelong Learning (OCULL).
http://www.distanceedcanada.ca/

OntarioLearn.com - This consortium of 22 Ontario Community Colleges have partnered to develop and deliver on-line courses. Each partner college selects courses from the OntarioLearn.com course inventory that will complement their existing distance education offerings.
http://www.ontariolearn.com/course_description/course_list.htm

Open Learning Agency (BC) - Since its establishment twenty-five years ago, the Open Learning Agency has been involved in the delivery of lifelong learning opportunities, the provision of access, the development of instructional materials, and the educational use of technology in the provision of education and training services.
http://www.ola.bc.ca/

4Canadian Providers - Continuing Education and Lifelong
Learning

Education Direct - A division of Thompson Learning.
http://www.edudirect-canada.com/

The Independent Learning Centre (TVOntario) - Provides a wide range of distance education courses that allow adults to earn secondary school diploma credits, upgrade their basic skills, or study for personal development.
http://ilc.edu.gov.on.ca/01/home.htm

There are hundreds of online courses in computing, especially in preparation for accreditation exams ...

4International Providers

Peterson's Distance Learning - The free online version of the print directory. Ask for the complete print version at your local library.
http://www.petersons.com/distancelearning/

Bear's Guides to Distance Learning - Evaluates all the best online schools. Again, this is the free online version of the print directory. Ask for the full print version at your local library.
http://www.degree.net/

Distance Education Providers - North America (through the International Center for Distance Learning).
http://www-icdl.open.ac.uk/provider.ihtml?loc=northam

eCollege^sm has over 200 Educational Partners offering courses, degrees and certificate programs - both on-campus and at a distance.
http://www.ecollege.com/student/Search.html

Still can't find an online provider?

If you are truly stumped, try the Online Counsellor. This programme, provided through CanLearn Interactive (HRDC), has qualified counsellors available to answer your questions about online and traditional learning possibilities, the employment market and career options.