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Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services
Especially for the cyber neophyte.
Type "online learning" in a search engine and the answers are endless.
So how do you figure out which institutions are legitimate and which will give you a useless piece of paper not even worth putting at the bottom of a canary cage?
If it's a Canadian institution, it's easy, said Dr. Keen Clive, web manager for Athabasca University, one of the premier fully virtual universities in the country.
Clive said the easiest way is to find whether the institution is for-profit. Most universities and colleges in Canada are not-for-profit. Universities are usually set up by their respective province and are governed by legislation.
"Sometimes some sneak through like some in New Brunswick," said Clive. "One of them said they were accredited by Price-Waterhouse-Cooper.
Clive said the sure sign a university could be questionable is if they claim to be accredited.
A good place to start is www.cvu-uvc.ca. This is the Web site for Canadian Virtual University an umbrella group of 13 universities that have joined to offer a host of programs and courses online.
The Web site offers 2,000 courses and 260 programs.
"Another good way to protect yourself is talk to someone from a local college," said Clive.
Another good site to visit for those seeking an online education is www.degree.net.
This is an American site, but it offers good tips on how to keep from getting duped, said Christine Nelson, public affairs director for Athabasca University.
The Web site advises to check with Bear's Guide to Earning Degrees Nontraditionally the book is offered on the site.
It also says to check with friends, colleagues and current or former employers and to check accreditation.
Since it is an American site, accreditation plays a big role in the legitimacy of institutions.
Universities and colleges have to undergo rigorous criteria to be accredited.
In Canada, institutions aren't necessarily accredited because most are supported by the respective provinces.
As long an institution is a member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, it is absolutely legitimate, said Clive.
