Train in the comfort of your own home or office

Did you know that Esri Canada is fully prepared to deliver 100% of our instructor-led courses in a virtual environment? Should you be required to work from home, or from your office only, you’ll still be able to attend your scheduled training or register for courses you want to take. Esri Canada has delivered hundreds of courses every year, for the last 10 years, in our virtual environment and will continue to do so in the coming weeks and months. Here’s what you need to know to be fully prepared to take a course online with us.

If you can’t come to an Esri Canada office, and until our in-class training resumes, you’ll still be able to complete the courses you’ve planned to take from your office or from home. You’ll also still be able to continue registering for courses on our online calendar. The key benefit of online training is that you can attend Esri Canada’s instructor-led courses from anywhere you choose.

Online training participants often choose a comfortable and quiet environment, like their homes or a quiet office space, to fully focus on the course throughout the day and eliminate the types of distractions often present in a busy office environment (such as frequent phone calls, questions from co-workers, day-to-day interruptions, and hallway conversations).

If you have a computer, high-speed internet access and a phone or a headset, you should be able to take our online courses from wherever you are.

To make sure you’re fully ready and to help provide you with the best possible online learning experience, we’ve answered several frequently asked questions to help you understand how our online courses work.

What you need to know:

Is the online course I’m taking different from a traditional classroom course?

The content of Esri Canada’s online courses is the same as that of the courses we offer in a traditional classroom setting. Instructors give lectures and students work through exercises, all delivered in real time.

Do I need special software installed on my computer?

No. Esri Canada provides each student access to a virtual classroom. All you’ll need to do is log in the day of the class. All required software will be available to you for the duration of the course.

How is the course presented? Do I work at my own pace?

You’ll connect to WebEx, which will allow you to view live lectures and work through exercises during class time with instructor assistance when needed. Esri Canada presents courses in real time. If you run into difficulties with steps during exercises, the instructors can access your machine to guide you through the steps you need to take to get back on track.

How do I talk to the instructor during the course?

You’ll need to use a computer headset or speaker phone. You’re encouraged to ask questions, participate in group discussions and use chat features to engage in classroom conversations.

Do I need to do anything before the course to prepare for an online class?

The instructor will send you an email prior to the class that includes connection tests, which you can use to ensure that you can log into the virtual classroom without issue. The email will also include a link to download the course workbook. You’ll need to perform the tests before the course start date. If you have any questions or concerns about accessing the course online, the instructor can assist you.

What do I need to do prior to the start of my class to test my connection/system?

Before participating in an online course, you should ensure that you’ve completed all necessary connection tests and that your system meets the minimum requirements. For more details, please review our step-by-step connection instructions.

If your next few weeks will be quieter than usual, consider taking this as a learning opportunity. Review your training plan and move forward with a new course by reviewing our calendar for the coming weeks. It’s filled with multiple offerings on various topics. You can review our catalogue to choose the right course and pick a date, or contact us if you’d like some help and guidance.