How Arts distance learning works

Some distance courses have exams during the official examination periods (June and October/November) or supervised tests at other times of the year. If a course has an official exam or supervised test, you will have the choice to select three centres from the list. UC will consider your preferences but has the final decision on the centre location. It is expected that you will travel up to 2.5 hours from your home address to the allocated centre.

The exam will be sat under exam conditions with a supervisor in attendance.

• It is important that students plan their time to make every attempt to complete assignments on time and meet any due dates.
• An extension of up to two weeks can be applied for where there are exceptional circumstances. Some courses do not permit resubmits.
• Approval must be requested from the course coordinator before the due date.
• Examples of exceptional circumstances are; serious injury or illness incurring hospitalisation, death of a close family member or trauma. Evidence must be provided to support the reasons for an extension application.

• The Library can provide access to books, articles, and audio-visual material for distance students.
• They will post requested items to students across New Zealand free of charge.
• They will send scans of articles/chapters to student email addresses
• Each parcel sent will include free return postage.
• Items not held by the Library may be requested using the interloans service.
• There is access to many online resources, including guidance on using library resources, advice on search strategies, databases and other electronic resources.
• Liaison Librarians will assist with referencing guidance. They can be contacted by phone or through the ‘Ask Live’ service, where a Librarian is available for help online in real time.
• Visit Library Distance Services for more information.

All students enrolled at the University of Canterbury should have a Canterbury Card that is valid for a period of five years. To find out how you can get one, head here.

If you do not physically want a card you must still contact the University to confirm your permanent username and password. Phone 0800 827 748 and ask for ICT Servicedesk. Students cannot access the course Learn sites to start their study without a permanent username and password.

You must have continual access to a computer or tablet with broadband internet access. We realise that many of our students may feel anxious about their level of computer and online skills when they think about distance study.

The following checklist will help identify the areas that students will need to be comfortable in to successfully manage online learning:

• Know how to access the internet through an internet provider
• Know how to operate the basic search and navigation features of a web browser
• Know how to use e-mail to send and receive messages and attachments
• Know how to download and open PDF documents
• Know how to change a document into a PDF file
• Know how to store and retrieve electronic documents for future use
• Be comfortable reading and contributing to online discussion forums in course Learn sites
• Be able to write assignments using a word processing application
• Be able to use your computer with several windows open at the same time
• Be able to open audio and video files

• An Internet Service Provider (ISP) or other access to the internet
• A broadband connection will give you the fastest access
• A computer installed with Microsoft Windows 7 or later, or
• A mac with os 10.6 or later
• A printer to print course materials
• A sound card and speakers.