CHANGE IN EVALUATION

College recognizes distance education delivery

The College has introduced new evaluation procedures that may enable applicants with credentials earned through distance education to advance more quickly towards certification.

The College now recognizes a portion of an initial teacher education program completed via distance education, if the program includes a face-to-face practicum or if the applicant has one year of teaching experience in a jurisdiction outside Ontario where the applicant holds teacher certification.

Applicants for whom the College recognizes a portion of a teacher education program completed by distance education will still have to complete two methodology courses in a face-to-face environment to be certified.

“I'm very pleased that we are able to introduce this change to increase options for applicants to meet Ontario's certification requirements,” said Registrar Brian McGowan. “It reflects a growing confidence in the education sector that distance education is a useful and valid method of teacher education delivery, especially when used in conjunction with more traditional methods.”

In the recently completed College-led Teachers' Qualification Review, participants supported alternative delivery methods, including distance education, for initial teacher education. There was no support for delivering an initial teacher education program entirely via distance education.

The College's change in procedures will have the greatest impact on internationally educated teachers. The College is contacting all teachers who have been denied certification in the past because their program was earned through distance education to inform them of the change.

Applicants since January 1st, 2005 have had their credentials re-evaluated free of charge and have been informed of the outcome. Those who applied before January 1st, 2005 have been invited to reapply using the updated Registration Guide for Teachers Educated Outside Ontario on the College web site.

More information on the change in evaluation procedures is available in a series of questions and answers at www.oct.ca.