Take online courses at your convenience and earn college credits towards Conestoga programs with OntarioLearn.

In collaboration with all 24 Ontario community colleges, you have 24/7 access to a broad selection of online programs, courses and services.

Courses delivered through OntarioLearn are a collection of shared online college courses. Due to curriculum sharing, OntarioLearn courses at Conestoga are not eligible for PLAR.

 
 

Getting started

Once you register at Conestoga for an OntarioLearn course, you can expect to receive an email 1-2 weeks prior to the course start date outlining important details on how to successfully navigate your course.     

Important notes to remember

  • Student accounts will be activated for the start date of your course; you cannot start the course until the official start date.
  • If you register within one week of the course start date please be aware that it may take 48 - 72 hours for your account to be activated after your registration is processed.
  • Although your instructor may be from another college, you are registered at Conestoga College and must abide by our Academic Policies. Please contact Conestoga for any issues or concerns other than the course content that only the instructor can answer.
  • Keep a copy of course materials that you submit on the course site, as well as a copy of the course outline/syllabus and grades. You may need it for future reference if you wish to appeal your grade or need to transfer the course credit.

Before your course start date:

  • Purchase required textbooks or materials. We recommend that the purchasing of course resources does not happen until 1-2 weeks prior as there may be revisions up until that time.

Important facts

  • Email is the primary way the college and your facilitator will interact with you. It is important that your email in your Conestoga Portal and your OntarioLearn Portal profile are correct.
  • If you plan to complete your course on your workplace computer, check with your IT department as some companies will have a firewall in place to prevent downloads. If you encounter any technical difficulties accessing your course after the start date, please contact OntarioLearn Technical Support.

Want a tutorial on how to navigate the various learning management platforms our courses are facilitated with? Please use the following links:          

Note: Effective January 1, 2020, access to the D2L/Brightspace site will no longer be possible using any version of Internet Explorer. Microsoft Edge is still compatible.

Your Conestoga email account

Please follow these steps to access your Conestoga email account:

  1. Log in to your Conestoga email account using your email address and default password. Your email address is your first initial, last name, and the last four (4) digits of your student number@conestogac.on.ca. (example: Jsmith4567@conestogac.on.ca). Your student number can be found on your Fee Payment Order Receipt, which was emailed to you when you registered. The default password is Cc and your student number (example: Cc1234567).
  2. Organization Verification: After logging in, you will encounter a prompt that reads "Your organization needs more information". Click "Next" on this screen.
  3. Microsoft Authenticator App Setup: You must download the Microsoft Authenticator app on your mobile device when prompted. Once you've installed the app, click "Next" on your screen.
  4. Scan the QR Code: On the next screen, you'll see a QR code. Open the Microsoft Authenticator app on your phone and select "Add Work or School Account." Scan the QR code with your phone to add the account to the app. This step is essential for future account access.
  5. Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Every time you access your Conestoga College accounts, you will be required to approve a request or enter a code from the Microsoft Authenticator app on your phone.
  6. Password change: You will be prompted to change your password. Ensure your new password adheres to the following criteria: minimum of 16 characters, includes both uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters (#, $, %, etc.). It should not contain any part of your first or last name or your login name. Must not be set to any well-known or easily-compromised passwords.

If you encounter any issues during this process, please contact the Conestoga College IT Service Desk

Textbooks/Software
  • Conestoga College’s bookstore only carries some of the OntarioLearn resources. Please refer to the OntarioLearn Course Details page and select your course from the alphabetical list. Required textbook(s) or materials will be listed. We suggest you do not purchase your textbook(s) until approximately two weeks prior to the course start date as textbook(s) may change.
  • All textbooks are an additional expense unless otherwise stated.
  • Please refer to the “Textbook Instructions” on the course details page to confirm purchasing source.
Exams

In-person exams for OntarioLearn courses have been suspended and replaced with either an unsupervised, online exam or an alternate assignment.

Grades

It can take up to four weeks for final grades to be available after the course end date.     

Final grades are found in the Conestoga Student Portal. Your student number is required for log-in.          

For assistance accessing the Conestoga Student Portal, please contact the Information Centre at 519-748-5220, ext. 3656.     

Refunds
  • The refund deadline is 14 calendar days after the course start date. NO REFUNDS will be issued after this date.
  • Students can drop a course using the Conestoga Student Portal and/or submitting an email to ce@conestogac.on.ca.
  • Check the Student Portal for the deadline to drop the course without academic penalty if you are unable to complete the course after the refund deadline.

If a course is cancelled by the college, prior to the start of the course, students will be notified by the Registrar's Office and a full refund will be issued.     

For policy details, please see Program and Course Withdrawal and Refund Procedure.