The Certificate in Industrial Wood Finishing is a course which is run in two distinct phases. The first phase lasts approximately three months and is delivered via the Internet. During this phase of the course, learners study part-time using the course website. The website serves as an electronic textbook for the course, but it is also much more than that. All of the information required for the course can be found on the website – no additional text books or printed materials are required. Learners should set aside eight hours per week for study activities during this web-based phase, which includes the following;
- Reading and reviewing the lessons and viewing the supporting photos, diagrams and videos on the course website.
- Answering quiz questions.
- Following the web links provided to other websites related to wood finishing.
- Taking part in online discussions.
- Exchanging emails with course tutors and other learners.
- Writing and submitting reports and short assignments – both individually and in pairs or groups.
Throughout this phase of the certificate program, learners will constant access to your course tutor and a technical support team. Learners who have not taken an online or distance education course before may be concerned about the level of computer literacy required. The course website is very intuitive and the various communication tools it contains are simple to learn and use. Individuals who have used a computer for word processing and other common applications and are familiar with surfing the Internet and sending and receiving email should have no difficulties. The first week of the course is dedicated to helping learners become comfortable with the course website and all of its functions.