Using the Course Finder

A wide range of DL courses meet Ministry of Education curriculum guidelines.  This presents you with the challenge of choosing the right course for your needs. 

LearnNowBC makes course selection easier by providing the Course Finder: a one-stop, searchable catalogue of all courses offered by DL schools in the province.

How to Select a Course

There are over 1,800 course offerings available in the Course Finder.  There are dozens of offerings of the same course, each with their own unique approach and features.  So how do you choose the one that’s right for you? The Course Finder includes a general description of each course and some information that’s specific to each course offering.  This information includes:

Teacher: You may choose to take a course from a teacher you’re familiar with or have heard good things about.  Note that not all schools provide this information.

Start Date: The date a course begins could be important to you.

Course Length: Courses may run for one semester or a full school year.  Some are flexible: you take them at a pace negotiated between you and your teacher.

Location: You may prefer a course that allows for opportunities to meet with your teacher and/or your fellow students.  If so, you’ll want to choose a course that provides these opportunities in a location near you.

Mode (print, online or both): Some students prefer to work with hard copy materials, others like to work online.  Increasingly, DL courses use both of these approaches.

Independent Study: If you’re the kind of person who is self-motivated, disciplined and works well independently, you may want to select a course that provides opportunities for independent study.

Peer Collaboration: You don’t have to meet face-to-face to work collaboratively with other students.  If you enjoy group projects and interacting with others, look for courses that provide peer collaboration opportunities; often, these can be online.

Communication with Teacher: You may have preferences about how you’d like to communicate with your teacher.  Different teachers have different styles.  Try to choose a course that provides the style of communication you prefer.

Marks and Assignments: Some students prefer writing tests, others prefer writing essays.  Pick a course that uses forms of assessment that work for you.

Technology Requirements: Some courses may require different kinds of technology.  Be sure to choose courses that you can use with the hardware and connectivity you have.