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North Island College ready for a virtual fall semester

“It’s a really good time to be a student.”
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NIC Bio 160 students meet for a virtual question and answer session with instructor Emaline Montgomery (bottom right). Image provided

The fall term year is still weeks away, but North Island College (NIC) is gearing up for an unprecedented semester of online learning. COVID-19 has forced NIC to put courses online where possible.

The teaching and learning innovation team at NIC is getting ahead of the digital learning curve with a resource site for students called Learn Anywhere: https://learnanywhere.opened.ca/. It’s designed as a digital orientation for students who are new to online learning. The site aims to answer questions such as how online students will be assessed, what hardware and software is needed and tips to connect socially with classmates online.

Support staff at NIC will host pre-recorded and live orientation sessions throughout August and early September.

RELATED: NIC launches virtual orientation sessions

The college traditionally has a large number of international students, said director of student affairs Felicity Blaicklock. While that number is affected by COVID-19, there are a number of students who were already in Canada when the pandemic started.

Taking advantage of the fact that most courses are offered online, a cohort of international students log in from overseas.

Courses that require physical learning – such as trades and health care, which are some of the most popular in NIC’s – will be mixed in-person and online.

“It’s a really good time to be a student,” Blaicklock said. There is more financial aid available than ever before, and with online learning college might just be more accessible than ever before.

RELATED: NIC leads province in transition to online biology labs

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