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The Dual Degree Program
The Dual Degree Program
Erica Chiang It all started this summer, when our school launched the “Dual Degree Program.” To be honest, I didn’t have much interest when I first heard about this, since I rarely pay attention to anything beyond my studies. It was my mom who seemed to be absorbed in this brand new “stuff” and thought the program might help me develop global competencies. She then talked me into taking on this challenge. To put it simply, the “Dual Degree Program” is learning without borders. We take courses provided by Ontario-based TVO ILC, an online high school in Canada. We study on the computer at our own pace and earn credits with the support of the facilitators—teachers at Stella Matutina. When we complete all the required assignments and pass the final tests, we will be granted the OSSD (Ontario Secondary School Diploma) along with our school’s high school diploma. Sounds awesome? It does, but it’s no easy task! From the very beginning, during the summer vacation, plus the extra days we got because of quarantine, I woke up at 8:00 AM and worked on the program until very late at night every day. There are many courses across a range of subjects to choose from, each of which is worth one credit. The learning process is student-oriented and quite flexible. But, the homework is quite demanding; it did flip my concept for “English assignments.” Take for example the Grade 10 English we took. In some tasks, we were required to create a book cover, make a poster, record oral presentations, or even produce a video clip on our own. The forms of the program’s English homework varied, and you could never expect what would come next, as if it was always challenging your creativity and drawing out your potential. The feeling was great, though, when you got the credit and looked back at how far you had come. After all the work was done for the program, there was also a final exam to wrap up what we had learned. All the questions on our exam this time were open-ended questions. In other words, there weren’t any multiple-choice questions, no a/b/c/d to choose from. You had to study hard because the questions were somehow connected to different sections of the course. I had a sense of pride and achievement when I eventually got my certificate for this credit. I made it independently, but couldn’t have done it without the help of Tr. Jessica, Tr. Prudence, and my classmates. It made me realize that anything could be possible if you try really hard. It is an adventurous experience indeed, but when you find the priceless treasure at last, you’ll then realize it’s definitely worth it.
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