Military servicewoman gains new skills in an online learning environment
After retiring in January 2020 from the Canadian Armed Forces after 31 years of service, Julia Desjardins was keen to develop new marketable skills. Yet in spite of her preference for the familiar learning environment of a classroom, as the pandemic began to reveal itself, Desjardins decided to enroll full-time in AC Online’s Office Administration – General program. In Spring 2021, she graduated with her Honours Certificate alongside new confidence and skills.
Describing herself as a lifelong learner, Desjardins had already taken general interest courses at Algonquin College in the past, so the choice to study here again was an easy one. “I had found the courses to be well run, challenging, and well structured,” she says. She also praises the college’s reputation. “I had confidence that the resulting credentials I would receive would be well regarded and relevant to any employer I approached, especially in the Ottawa area.”
While Desjardins was slightly intimidated by the technology learning curve, she says she was able to resolve most issues on her own. For any others, she could call on her facilitator, the AC Helpdesk, and the textbook supplier. “I feel my AC Online experience gave me the ability to become a more self-reliant problem-solver and to communicate effectively with other students with a range of experience on a variety of learning platforms,” she says. She also credits her family with helping her find her routine. “I am fortunate to have a supportive family and a good environment to set up my workspace.”
Throughout the program, Desjardins also found that she could rely on her course facilitators for support. “You are not on your own – they are professional, approachable, and responsive. Before my accounting course began, I previewed the first pages of the textbook. I was entirely intimidated because it was like another language. By the end of the course, I felt that I had the confidence to work through the details, and I was extremely proud of the skills that I gained. My facilitator was great at encouraging me and my fellow students,” she says. She was also pleased with the option to take an elective course in Art History via Ontario Colleges, a course she found “incredibly interesting and challenging.”
As she started the program, Desjardins says she also needed to learn to be an online learner, balancing the courses and assignments and finding new ways to stay organized. “Assignments are due in most courses each week, so you need to find a rhythm that integrates the requirements from a lot of courses,” she says, noting that it worked for her to print off the syllabus from each course so she could see when the workload was heavier and lighter in each. “Online courses are a lot of work, but generally the amount of time I invested in organizing my learning week, planning my work, and working to the assignment rubrics translated directly into the results I wanted.”
After completing her studies as a mature learner, Desjardins now reassures others that they shouldn’t let age or technology worries stop them from trying online learning because there is a lot of support available. She also reminds fellow mature students that their experience brings a lot to the table. “As an older student, your life and work experience may give you a lot of reference material and a great point of view for your assignments,” she says. For Desjardins, her past military background also provided a saying that she tried to keep in mind throughout her learning: “Planning and preparation prevent poor performance.”