Our Modular Digital Learning (MDL) program is an asynchronous online program offering courses available to students who wish to register at St. Joseph, who are needing to take an extra course while in another high school, are looking to upgrade but need a flexible schedule, or are an adult and wish to complete your studies.
At St. Joseph High School, we are committed to supporting equitable access to online learning. Due to high demand, registration priority will be given to students who are:
- Accessing online learning due to documented medical reasons
- Enrolled for credentialing purposes
- Upgrading a course for the first time
Students who have previously completed the same course multiple times, whether through different providers or learning modalities, may be placed on a waitlist to ensure fair opportunity for new learners and those on the indicated registration priority.
We appreciate your understanding as we strive to prioritize those with the greatest need for flexible, accessible education.
How does MDL work?
Students who register for MDL will be taking a online course via our learning platform - D2L Brightspace.
A login is provided to students once they have been registered and content will be provided by the Course Advisor (CA). Students will be provided with a sample timeline in which to complete their registered course. Students then will work at their own pace and time to complete the assigned content and tasks.
Is my Course Advisor (CA) available to assist me if I need help?
Of course. We have CAs that are available during the school day who are available to assist using Microsoft Teams which a student will have access to. Additionally, CAs will respond to emails directed to them. CAs may also schedule individual time with a student who may need some assistance.
While we do have an MDL Hub at the school, the Hub is not designed as a drop-in center to complete work.
It is important to understand that a course may have upwards of 150 students at any given time. During peak times, a CA's ability to get back to a student may be limited. Please allow 24-48 hours business hours to respond.
With this understanding, it is important for students to know that following the timeline provided is the best approach to receiving feedback and completing the course successfully. Leaving tasks to the end of the course and then expecting instant communication with a CA is not reasonable. CAs are responsible for numerous students through the duration of the course and take great pride in providing support in the best manner possible.
Who is eligible to register in a MDL course?
Our MDL program is our most flexible when it comes to who can register for the program. The following chart highlights the potential eligibility of a student and in what type of program they can register in.
| Grades | Enrollment Type | Process |
| St. Joseph Grades 10-12 | Part Time Online | Students at St. Joseph are able to register for a course in one of two ways:
|
| Other ECSD Schools Grades 10-12 | Part Time Only | Students in ECSD are able to register for a course in one of two ways:
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| Any ECSD student Grades 10-12 | Full Time | Student in this category must discuss this possibility with their catchment school administration or St. Joseph High School. Students who are looking at this may be enrolling in a full time program due to:
Please be aware there are residency requirements that are defined by Alberta Education that St. Joseph and ECSD must adhere to. |
| Any student outside ECSD within the Province of Alberta | Full Time or Part Time | Students who are within the Province of Alberta may register with St. Joseph as a full time or part time student. Students who are currently registered with another School Division must discuss the enrollment with their school prior to registering with St. Joseph. |
| Grades 13 and 14 | Full Time or Part Time | Students who are looking to upgrade their courses or are looking at achieving a credential such as an Alberta High School Diploma may register in as many as four courses per semester at student cost. |
| Adult Students | Full Time or Part Time | Students at or over the age of 20 as of September 1st of the current school year are considered adult students. Adult students may register in as many as four courses per semester at an adult student rate. |
| International Students | Part Time | International students who are registered as an international student with Edmonton Catholic Schools are eligible to take MDL courses. Please discuss this possibility with a school administrator or international student coordinator. International students must continue to fulfill all International student residency requirements while taking an online course. MDL courses are subject to international student fees. |
| Students Outside of Alberta | Ineligible to register. | The Province of Alberta has residency requirements for students taking Alberta Education programming. Students who reside outside the province with no residency in Alberta are ineligible to take an online course. |
How much does an MDL course cost?
The following is the fee structure for an MDL course:
| Student Type | Cost Per Course |
| Grades 10-12 plus Grades 13 and 14 | Students directed to MDL course via their school will not incur any costs associated with the registration. Students choosing to take an MDL course on their own will be charged a one time cost of $36.00 regardless of the credits assigned to the course for their registration. Students then will be charged a cost of $3.50 per credit for any course. Example:
|
| Adult Students | Adult students pay a rate of $650.00 per course. Individual modules operate under the same guidelines above but under a an adult rate. |
| International Students | International students must discuss registration with the school prior to finalizing a student cost. |
*Please note: Cost may be subject to change at any time.
Is attendance required for an MDL course?
Attendance is not required for an MDL course. The course is designed to be completely asynchronous.
However, your student logins and access to the course content and assessments are tracked. CAs and school administration are able to access information such as:
- When you logged into the system or course
- When you accessed a content page
- How long you have viewed the content page
- How long it took for you to do a quiz
- How long you spent on a question in a quiz
It is important to realize that this information may be provided to an authorized parent upon request in cases when a dispute arises with a mark.
Regularly accessing a course and the content is paramount to the success you will have in the course. Leaving a five credit course to be done in the last two weeks of an offering may not provide you with the necessary time to build success.
Courses are based on a semester system. Students who are not completed a course before the end of the term will either have a mark submitted on work completed or may request, at their own cost, to restart the course in the next semester. St. Joseph may not be able to fulfill that request based on student enrollment.
What are the technical requirements for an MDL course?
Students must own a device that is capable of accessing the internet. It is also imperative that the device has a webcam as some of our assessments do require the use of a camera to verify your identity and confirm that a student is not violating exam rules.
A smartphone is not an approved device. A chromebook or laptop with a webcam would be sufficient as would a desktop.
Is there an app for MDL?
While there is no official MDL app, you can access our Learning Platform on your smartphone on the following apps.
| Android | iOS |
 |
How do I communicate with my teacher (Course Advisor)?
All students who register for an MDL course will be required to register as a student at ECSD and therefore will have access to an ECSD email address. That email will be one of three primary ways in which to communicate with your CA.
The second way in which a student can communicate with their CA is through the use of Teams. Teams is similar to an instant messaging system where CAs can then communicate live with a student or can agree to do a video call.
The third way is through Brightspace's built-in messaging tools. We recommend that students, upon entering the platform, visit their Profile and forward their messages within Brightspace to a personal email. We do not recommend changing their ECSD email. The forwarding simply allows a student to know that a message was sent to them within Brightspace.
The Brightspace Pulse app has many instant notification items for student use.
Can I drop an MDL course?
Yes you may but no refunds will be issued. No refunds will also be issued for failure to complete the course.
Does my MDL course have exams? What about diplomas?
While we can offer some flexibility for some of the class assessments, we are unable to modify the requirements for Diploma exams or district CSA exams. Students will be expected to attend school in-person in order to write those exams.
Course exams may be written using our proctoring software if the device being used meets the minimum standard of the software. No software is installed on your system.
We've scheduled a holiday or we need to leave the area during the course. Since this is an online program, can I continue it while I am away?
Absolutely! Your time is your time. You can decide to work at your course at 3:00am if you'd like. You are not restricted to time or location in terms of doing your work. It is expected however that you do complete your course at the appropriate time and that you communicate with your CA in regards to your ability to meet timelines.
My child is not attending in-person classes. Would an MDL course be an option?
This is a difficult question to answer. Enrolling in an MDL course is not a substitute for in-person attendance so a student who is not able to attend in person due to motivation may not find success in an MDL course. An MDL course requires that a student has a great sense of academic independence and to be able to complete tasks independently. If a student has been unable to do this while taking in-person classes, being online may not be the best option.
However, we have seen success for students that have not been able to attend in-person classes for cases as listed earlier. In cases such as this, students that do not have any academic concerns are perfectly suitable to take MDL courses.
How do I register for an MDL course?
Please contact the school if you would like to register for an online course. If you are registering through your school, please consult with your school administration.
If you have any further questions, please contact the school at 780-426-2010.