Part-Time Learning’s online structure benefits travellers
Written by Izabela Szydlo
It was Saturday in Rwanda, which meant that Centennial College Part-Time Learning student Janice Mills was heading to a town where she could find a reliable Internet connection and submit her coursework. While working with an organization involved in women’s empowerment and literacy required Mills to travel to Rwanda every six months, Centennial’s flexible Part-Time Learning options allowed her to easily complete her program.
“I had never taken an online course before and I was pleasantly surprised,” says Mills, who finished part one of Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) in August 2019 and is currently taking the program’s second portion. “At first, I thought it was just going to be reading, but there was a lot of interacting with students and the instructor. That meant I had accountability but could still set my own pace in that I was able to see the entire course overview, week by week, including what assignments would be due and how busy or light the coming weeks would be.”
With online discussions, pair work (such as peer editing and receiving and giving feedback on assignments) and the ability to contact instructors both publicly and privately, Mills says Centennial fostered an online community that was, in many ways, akin to face-to-face classes.
“Because you could see your class list, I saw another woman taking all the same courses as me, so I reached out to her and we would email each other when we needed help, feedback or an opinion,” says Mills. “You still get the social interaction, and I believe a lot of people don’t think they’ll get that.”
While Mills opted for an online delivery, Centennial also facilitates many of the more than 1,300 Part-Time Learning courses and program it offers at its campuses and satellite locations on weekends and in the evenings.
Whether you’re in Toronto or half way around the world, Centennial’s Part-Time Learning options are readily available. Learn more by visiting, centennialcollege.ca/programs-courses/part-time. And remember: Centennial alumni benefit from a 20% discount on many part-time courses. Be sure to ask for it!