All of our courses are asynchronous so students from across the country and around the world can participate. Courses are available on the course start date and students can access them through the Online Campus 24/7.

The course week runs from Monday to Sunday, and all due dates are Sunday. Most courses have a quiz, discussion post or assignment due each week.

Hands-on activities have been incorporated into the assignments where students get to put their newly acquired knowledge to practice. Depending on the course, some activities may require access to soil and composting materials. Students living in climates where the ground may be covered in snow for the duration of the course are encouraged to collect their soil sample in advance or take the course at another time of year.

Class discussions are carried out via a forum in the online classroom. We encourage students to check in a few times during the week to contribute to the forum and read or comment on other students’ posts. With this format there isn’t any need for students to be online at specific times, but there are weekly deadlines for some discussions.

Questions about the material can be posted to the course forum for the instructor to answer and elaborate on.

As these are college level courses, students are expected to have basic computer skills (email, log-in/log-out, typing skills, downloading/uploading files, etc.), be able to converse well in English and be able to dedicate the time needed to read, understand and problem solve the coursework each week.

Students are expected to complete discussion posts, assignments, and quizzes along with their weekly lessons and readings. Hands-on activities are incorporated into the assignments and discussion posts so students can gain a practical understanding of the concepts.

The first week of each course is dedicated to familiarizing yourself with the online classroom, online campus resources, your facilitator and fellow course mates. There will be an introductory discussion post and, in some courses, a brief questionnaire about your background on the topic, but the goal is to explore and get comfortable with the online classroom before the intense learning starts. The first week will also give you an opportunity to acquire your text and other necessary resources for the course.

Students are evaluated on their assignments, quizzes and discussion posts. In order to receive a certificate of completion, students are expected to complete all assignments and discussion posts with a minimum grade of 75%; and all quizzes with 100% accuracy (multiple attempts are allowed).

Our courses are designed to be completed wherever you live in the world and during any season. Whether you live in an apartment or on a farm has no impact on completing the assignments. The information taught is universal and therefore applicable to students around the world.