The e-learning portal of SOFAD (Société de formation à distance des commissions scolaires du Québec)

• Who are the target learners for eduSOFAD online courses?
• Do all learners have access to pedagogical support from an instructor/tutor?
• How does eduSOFAD support communication between the learners and you?
• What is my role as an instructor or tutor in the learner’s online course experience?
• What is the purpose of my personal account?
• How do I obtain access to a course?
• How are learners evaluated for online coursework?

Who are the target learners for eduSOFAD online courses?

The courses offered by eduSOFAD are designed to respond to the needs of learners who find themselves in an independent learning environment, whether at home or in a learning centre.

SOFAD’s online courses are aimed at the following categories of learners:

• individuals who are registered for distance learning through a Québec school board;
• individuals who are registered at an institution overseen by a Québec school board;
• individuals who are not registered in a Québec school board and who wish to improve their competency in a particular subject on their own terms.

Do all learners have access to pedagogical support from an instructor/tutor?

Learners who are registered with a school board may benefit from the pedagogical support of a tutor if they are registered for distance learning, or they may receive the help of an instructor if they are registered at an institution.

Individuals who wish to take a course without being registered at an institution (independent learners) are not eligible for pedagogical support from an instructor or tutor. These individuals have the option to change their status during the course and to register with a learning institution. In this case they will be subject to the standard policies and fees of the host institution.

How does eduSOFAD support communication between the learners and you?

A link is created in the system between the learner and his or her instructor or tutor. This link is established by the institution administrator in the case where the institution is responsible for acquiring the learner’s access codes (Case1). If the learner is responsible for acquiring the access codes, he or she must provide the system with the information needed to identify the instructor or tutor (Case 2).

Case 1: When the learner first visits the online course, the system will present the relevant information about the instructor or tutor. If this information is incorrect, the system will ask the learner to contact the administrator of the host institution.

Case 2: When the learner first visits the online course, the system will indicate the absence of information about the instructor or tutor. The learner will be able to provide this information at any time by going to the profile tab inside his or her account.

What is my role as an instructor or tutor in the learner’s online course experience?

All courses offered by eduSOFAD are designed for independent learning allowing students to learn at their own pace. EduSOFAD imposes a time limit to the period during which the learner can access the course; but it is your responsibility to communicate other time restrictions specified by the host institution.

Each eduSOFAD course includes a planner, which is designed to assist you and your students to plan and manage their progress throughout the course. You are expected to communicate with the learner to establish how you will use the course planner.

The course activities are structured so that the learners may pursue their studies independently, without additional documents or supervision from the instructor or tutor. The system is designed to provide feedback automatically. Learners may redo activities as often as necessary to improve their understanding of the material.

Your role consists primarily of ensuring that your students can navigate through the course, as well as answering any questions they may have. An internal email system is provided for this purpose.

Additional responsibilities include evaluating and grading any assignments that the learner is required to complete as part of the course requirements. The system provides you with appropriate tools to help you with evaluation and grading.

What is the purpose of my personal account?

Your personal account is like your own “work space” while you are helping online learners on the eduSOFAD portal. You can access your account by entering your email address and password.

Your account includes:

• access to your courses, either to explore their features or to monitor your students’ progress;
• a zone with direct access to your learner’s planners, email addresses, and dates of first and last visits;
• direct access to a SOFAD course administrator who can assist you with your questions, comments and suggestions.

How do I obtain access to a course?

The Catalog page contains a list of all courses presently offered. Each course has a course description and usually offers a demo so that you can view the course features.

If you wish to access the complete course for a trial period, you must create a personal account. Your request for a personal account must be approved by SOFAD personnel, who will then send you a password by email.

Once your account has been created, go to the Catalog page and click Add next to the desired course for your free trial period.

How are learners evaluated for online coursework?

The evaluation process for online learners is the same as for other learners. Once the learner has completed the course (either through distance learning or at an institution), he or she must pass an exam under supervision in accordance with the conditions established by the host institution.

Independent learners typically do not require accreditation and therefore do not need to pass the official exam. If a student eventually decides to obtain accreditation, he or she may register to take the exam for an additional fee.