Collen Middleton isn’t about to stop learning just because he is working full time in his chosen career field of Terrestrial Ecology. By utilizing the availability of multiple distance education courses and their tools, he is able to upgrade his degree without having to take time away from his career. Having already completed distance education courses through the University of Guelph and Athabasca University, he is currently enrolled in a senior level Animal Behaviour course through Thompson Rivers University, as well as APBI 428, an Integrated Pest Management course at UBC.
Working full time for Golder Associates Ltd, a Calgary based company with international expertise in ground engineering, earth and environmental services, Collen recognizes the unique benefits of participating in a distance education course. “By taking these courses, I do not have lectures that interrupt my daily routine, and I can learn and work at my own pace. For me, learning at my own pace results in a long-lasting and sometimes deep understanding of the subject matter, rather than simply cramming lecture notes prior to an exam.” He has successfully managed to balance his work commitments with his education, thanks to his determination and distance education.
Collen mentions that all distance education courses differ in format, depending on the needs of the course. For his Biology and Applied Biology courses, “the course formats are typically reading text book chapters and preparing study questions at the end of each major unit. Sometimes these question sets are handed in as assignments worth small portions of your grade, while other times they are only ‘recommended’ (but so help you if you don’t do them!). The main grades for the courses are the mid-term and/or the final exam.” APBI 428: Integrated Pest Management is an online course, and it provides a holistic view of pest management, emphasizing the integration of different methods for maintaining pests, diseases, and weeds below damaging levels, with the goal of minimizing the use of chemical pesticides that disrupt the environment. This Applied Biology course will provide Collen with further expertise in terrestrial ecology.
During his experience with distance education, Collen has found that the course work and educational experience is of the same quality and calibre as on-campus courses. “The main lesson I have learned from taking Distance Education is that it is not a “lesser” form of course delivery compared to lecture style courses.” It is simply an alternative method of learning that accommodates a student’s personal life and responsibilities.
Collen further highlights why this route may be useful for students who are working full time. He asserts that “if you are someone that sometimes needs to stop, think and re-visit sections while you are learning in order to build an understanding of something, distance education courses have advantages over on-campus courses.” When asked how taking a distance education course has impacted his personal life, Collen eloquently summarizes, “distance education allows me to upgrade my degree, GPA, and diversity of coursework while still working full time. Living like a student well in to your 20s begins taking its toll from a financial planning perspective, and so having alternatives to continue to develop your marketability in the workforce is absolutely critical.” This sounds like an ideal situation for most people; however, Collen does hazard a warning. “Distance education requires a good deal of self-motivation because, if you are juggling coursework with a full time job, it significantly eats into your personal time in the evenings and weekends.” With Collen’s career successes and dedication to his continuing education, he clearly embodies this trait necessary for success in distance education.