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Frequently Asked Questions

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eCampusAlberta students enjoy technical support 24 hours a day, seven days a week by phone or online.

"My full-time job requires travel both domestically and abroad and having the advantage of completing assignments from any location allows me to continue my studies. Having a family involved with sports, I am able to attend extracurricular activities and complete homework at the same time. Attending a standard ‘bricks and mortar’ building would require too much scheduling and missed class time."
- Ron Hynes, Management Studies, Grant MacEwan University

What is eCampusAlberta?

eCampusAlberta is a consortium (partnership) of 15 Alberta publicly funded colleges and technical institutes. The organization, which was founded in Nov., 2002, offers Alberta students (as well as students from outside the province) opportunities to pursue more than 400 courses and 30 accredited online certificates, online diplomas and applied degrees.

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Who are the partners?

eCampusAlberta’s current membership includes: Bow Valley College (Calgary), Grande Prairie Regional College, Grant MacEwan University (Edmonton), Keyano College (Fort McMurray), Lakeland College (Lloydminster, Strathcona County, Vermilion), Lethbridge College, Medicine Hat College, Mount Royal University (Calgary), NAIT (Edmonton), NorQuest College (Edmonton), Northern Lakes College (Slave Lake and Grouard), Olds College, Portage College (Lac La Biche), Red Deer College and SAIT Polytechnic (Calgary).

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What is online learning?

Online or eLearning is a term used to describe education that takes place using computers, the Internet and other technologies, including podcasts and DVDs. Some traditional (classroom-based) courses mix components of eLearning with face-to-face teaching methods, while other courses are offered fully online. eLearning can either be synchronous (where students are all online at the same time as an instructor) or asynchronous (where students are online at different times and learn at their own convenience). In online courses, students access materials through the Internet as well as complete course work and communicate with their instructors electronically. In some courses, students are also required to purchase traditional text books.

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How does eCampusAlberta work?

eCampusAlberta provides the infrastructure (website, program delivery server and software) that facilitates the learning experience for the student. Member institutions develop and submit their online courses for inclusion on the eCampusAlberta website. Students use the website to learn about courses and programs, register in them and choose their lead and partner institutions.

The institution that develops the course and delivers the instruction is called the lead and issues grades and credits to students for course completion. Students also select a partner institution that is located as close to them as possible. The partner institution allows students to use its library facilities and access other services they require to complete their courses, such as improving their learning and research skills as well as exam supervision.

In this way, Alberta students living anywhere in the province may take advantage of post-secondary education offered by post-secondaries that are geographically remote from them and still have access to on-campus services provided by an institution that is located near their home.

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What kinds of online courses, online certificates, online diplomas and applied degrees are offered?

eCampusAlberta offers, in partnership with member institutions, more than 400 online courses and more than 30 programs (provincially accredited online certificates, online diplomas and applied degrees). These courses and programs are no different than courses and programs offered on a traditional (face-to-face) basis.

Programs include online certificates and online diplomas in accounting, agricultural finance, animal health technology, administration, early childhood education, gerontology, health care, human resources, marketing, management, nursing, office administration and more. See www.ecampusalberta.ca/programs for a complete listing.

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Is online education more expensive than traditional education?

Tuition fees are set by the member institution offering the course or program. Prospective learners are encouraged to consult the institutions offering the courses or programs that interest them for specific information about fees.

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Why have an eCampusAlberta? Why can’t colleges just offer their own online courses and programs?

eCampusAlberta offers members many benefits, including the opportunity to collaborate on course and program development, which decreases costs for individual institutions. eCampusAlberta offers 24-7 technical support, which makes it easier for member institutions to support their students.

As well, eCampusAlberta provides members with funding for curriculum development through the Online Curriculum Development Fund.

eCampusAlberta is also committed to setting and sharing standards for online learning in the province of Alberta, including the essential quality standards for online course delivery.

As well, students benefit from the lead and partner delivery model, which enables them to take a course from one institution while accessing the facilities and support service (library, learning and research skills development, computer labs and exam supervision) offered by a member institution that is located close to their home community.

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What are the advantages of online learning?

Online learning through eCampusAlberta offers several advantages to students, including:

  • flexibility to complete coursework at a time and in a location that is convenient for them
  • the ability to access the academic offerings of several post-secondary institutions while continuing to reside in their home community

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What skills do online learners need?

The skills required for individual courses vary and students should check with the institution offering a course before registering in it. However, most courses require a basic level of computer skills, including the ability to:

  • send and receive e-mail
  • research on the Internet and use online library resources, such as academic journals
  • write using word processing programs (including Microsoft Word and Word Perfect)
  • participate in online communication forums such as chat rooms and blogs

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How many students are enrolled in eCampusAlberta online courses?

Participation in online education has increased steadily since the organization was formed in 2002. The number of registrations in online courses increased by 26 per cent to 9,004 in 2008/09 (ending June 30, 2009), up from 7,128 in 2007/08. This growth is expected to continue as more people become familiar with the benefits of online learning, the awareness of online course and program offerings in Alberta increases and more online certificate, online diploma and applied degree programs are added.