Online Courses: Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about online courses. Should
you have any other questions, do not hesitate to contact us.
Online education or elearning is an innovative approach to making professional development available to you
from the
comfort of your own home or wherever you may be, through the use of various electronic media via the
Internet. You
may take one or more courses online at a time and complete them at your own pace. Upon successful
completion of each
course, you will be provided with a certification of completion that may be submitted to your dental
hygiene regulatory
authority (DHRA) for recognition of your professional development requirements (if applicable).
Indeed, you can. Like anything else that you are not familiar with, it will take some time and practice to
learn how
to navigate the CDHA website and online courses. Once you understand the basic approach in taking an
online course,
you will become comfortable with using the computer. The only way to become comfortable with completing
online education
is to take an online course. The courses offer helpful tips to assist you along the way.
Each dental hygiene regulatory authority (DHRA) has different requirements around their quality assurance
programs. The number of credits required annually of registered dental hygienists is determined by each DHRA.
The estimated length of time for each course is listed under the format for learning tab at the bottom of the
course description page. Webinars offered by CDHA are typically one hour in length, but the duration may vary.
Generally most CDHA offerings are recognized by the different DHRA, but it is always the responsibility of the
member to ensure that the courses and webinars they are taking are accepted by their regulatory body.
You register for an online course by clicking on Access Now. This will bring you to a page that will ask you to
login to the member site (if you are not already logged in), enter your login and password. For courses with a
fee, insert your credit card information, and click Submit Order. As soon as your registration is processed, you
will be provided access to the electronic material and you may start taking the course. For free courses, the
electronic material will be added to your CDHA profile. Should you require assistance during the registration
process, please call CDHA's Professional Development Administrative Coordinator at 613-224-5515 extension 149 or 800-267-5235
extension 149.
Once you are registered in a course, you must login to the members' only website, navigate to the My Profile
page, and click on your course title. For most courses, you will have access to course modules, handouts, a
resource manual, and a final examination. Note that you must view the video presentation of Module 1 to
completion to have access to the next module, and so on. You may go back and view a module previously viewed,
but you cannot skip forward when viewing the modules. You may wish to print the PowerPoint handouts for taking
notes when viewing the video presentation of the same module. The resource manual (if applicable) is a workbook
that you may print and use to complete the learning activities. The manual also provides useful tips, additional
references and templates. You will have access to the final examination only when you have viewed to completion
the last module in the course.
You will have one year from the date of registration to complete the activities required in order to obtain your
certificate of completion. After that time, the course or webinar will be removed from your profile, and you
would need to re-purchase in order to complete, provided the course or webinar is still available for purchase.
One of the many benefits of elearning is that you take the course at your pace. Each course indicates the
suggested number of hours it will take to view the videos, to do the readings and learning activities, as well
as prepare for the final examination. You may take more or less time to complete the course, since you do not
have a limited amount of time to complete the course. Also, you may stop and come back to complete the course as
many times as you like, and review the video presentations as you prepare to take the final examination.
Most courses do not require you to purchase a text, however, access to a textbook is required for some
courses in order
to complete the learning activities assigned in the modules and prepare for the final exam. The course
information
provides the textbook reference and the website link of the publisher and one other source to purchase
the text online.
Note that you will not be able to complete the learning activities without the text. The learning
activities were
designed to complement the course content by ensuring the amount and depth of the content meets the
learning objectives,
and to assist you when you review the content in your preparation to take the final examination.
Yes, each course has an evaluative component. This means to pass the course you must complete a final examination
online. It is the only timed component of the course. Generally, the passing score is 80%. The number of
examination questions and time available to complete the exam (if applicable) is available on the course
website. Remember to read each question carefully and choose the correct answer. Should you not pass your first
attempt, you may attempt the second version of the examination.
Yes, upon completing the final examination with a score of 80% or more, you will be able to print off a
certificate of
completion. This certificate will be available on your My Profile page of the CDHA website. This
certificate may
be submitted to the dental hygiene regulatory authority in your jurisdiction for recognition of the
professional
development you have completed and can count towards your annual professional development requirements.
Should you not pass the first and second attempts of the final examination, please call the CDHA Professional Development Administrative Coordinator at 613-224-5515 extension 149 or 1-800-267-5235
extension 149 to discuss your options.
Should you have questions or require assistance, please call the CDHA Professional Development Administrative Coordinator at 613-224-5515 extension 149 or 800-267-5235
extension 149. For technical support contact CDHA Technical Support at extension 500 and for questions relating to content, the learning activities
or the final examination contact the Manager of Professional Development at extension 128.