The Online Corrections Academy is the American Correctional Association's (ACA) online training. ACA created the Academy to provide correctional professionals with courses via the Internet.

After you have selected your courses and completed the registration process, you will receive an electronic notice stating the full amount and the form of payment you have selected for the course. If you are purchasing a course with a credit card online, you may begin the course after 24 hours. If you are purchasing a course via mail or phone, you may begin the course once your payment has been received in the ACA office, and you receive notification to begin.

Courses start at $39.95* for ACA individual members and nonmembers. For more information, visit our course catalog. *Prices are subject to change.

Each course comes complete with an online classroom. You will be able to use your Web browser to access the online classroom and obtain your lessons, tutorials, demonstrations, reference materials, quizzes and assignments.

No problem! You can read each lesson at your leisure and complete each assignment when it is convenient for you. That's the beauty of taking online courses—they're designed to fit your schedule, not your instructor's!

Unless otherwise specified, all courses are self-paced. Some lessons will be accompanied by an assignment that has been designed to give you an opportunity to apply the skills that have been taught. You will be provided with the tools you will need to self-evaluate your work. The course will conclude with a final exam. Note: You will have up to a year from the time of purchase to complete your course(s).

The OCA courses are introductory college-level courses.

The only course materials you may print are the chapters, quizzes, syllabus, and the student's manual. All materials are copyrighted and, therefore, cannot be copied or distributed to another individual or organization. Doing so is a violation of federal law.

If you register and purchase a course, you may take the course at your own pace within a year. You must complete the course within a year. However, if an agency purchases courses for several staff, then the timeline will be determined by the agency's training department.

You may register and purchase a course through the course catalog in three easy steps. The steps are 1) go to the course catalog, 2) click on the course of interest, and then 3) register and purchase the course. You may purchase a course online, by mail with a personal and/or business check, or by phone with a credit card number.

Go to the OCA homepage, and select “Course Catalog.”

OCA accepts major credit cards, business and personal checks, and agency purchase orders.

If you are having problems purchasing a course, you may contact the ACA webmasteror OCA staff at ocacustomer@aca.org.

If you are experiencing technical problems, you may contact our Technical Service Staff at ocacustomer@aca.org, or fill in the Problem Submittal Form.

If you're using America Online version 4 (or greater), you'll be fine. Otherwise, it depends on the class. However, to avoid problems, you should download the free Netscape or Internet Explorer browser, or install the free version 4 upgrade from AOL.

If you forget your password, go to the “Forgot my Password” link from the "Access Your Courses" page to receive the information via e-mail. Or you may contact the OCA staff at ocacustomer@aca.org.

Our quizzes use a diminishing multiple choice format. When you miss a question, you will receive the correct answers. You are then expected to do the research needed to find the correct answer. This way, you will be more likely to retain the material.

OCA 's grading scale is set for pass/fail status. A student must pass the final exam with a grade of 75% or higher. Note: There is no grade for the quizzes.

Once you have completed and successfully passed the final exam with a score of 75% or higher, you will receive a notice within the page whether you have passed the exam.

Like books, much of the information in our online courses will be conveyed to you in writing. But the similarities between books and our Internet workshops end there. In particular:

• We believe that computer skills are best acquired by coupling hands-on experience with information and expert advice. Each of our lessons includes a quiz that has been carefully designed to reinforce the material covered in the lesson. Each quiz will be evaluated instantly and returned to you with meaningful feedback. In addition, many of our lessons include assignments that have been expertly crafted to give you practical, hands-on experience with the material covered in the course. After you complete each assignment, you will be provided with the information you need to self-evaluate your work and assess your own strengths and weaknesses.
• Our courses are designed to harness the interactive nature of the Internet, virtually ensuring that all of your course-related questions are answered. During the course, you will remain in contact with OCA staff and your fellow students.

In today’s fast-paced world, many of us find it difficult to take time away from work and family to attend school. One of the primary advantages of our online courses is that you can "attend class" in the comfort and convenience of your own home or office. All you have to do is log into your online classroom when you are ready to read your lessons, complete your quizzes and assignments, or communicate with your instructor and fellow students. Our Internet courses fit into your schedule: you can take them before breakfast, during lunch, late at night, or at any other time you find convenient — the choice is yours!

Please understand that online courses are not for everybody. Although you will remain in contact with your instructor and your classmates through the course discussion areas, learning over the Internet is essentially a solitary activity. If you prefer face-to-face interaction or find it difficult to complete your lessons in a timely manner, you probably will fare better in a classroom environment.

Again, our Internet courses are designed to harness the dynamic and interactive nature of the Internet, ensuring that they are updated in a timely fashion in contrast to videotapes. Moreover, the material covered in our courses is more detailed and comprehensive than material presented in videotapes.

When an agency uses OCA courses, the criteria for monitoring will be set by the agency’s training academy (i.e., homework assignments and timelines).

Yes. If an agency has purchased the courses for its staff, the training department will be able to have the students certificates sent to the agency via e-mail.

Once you have successfully completed the exam with a grade of 75% or higher, you may request a certificate via email at ocacustomer@aca.org.

We are firmly convinced that the best way to learn a new skill is to teach it to others. If you know the answer to a discussion area question, you are strongly encouraged to offer your assistance.